Westerly; Wet And Windy

It’s autumn, it’s getting colder, there are westerlies, and it will be wet and windy.

The week ahead doesn’t have much to brag about. Muggy warmth smothered much of Aotearoa over the weekend, making us feel like summer was still here. As 2021 marches on, we have to say this isn’t the case and the days ahead will acknowledge that fact.

MetService are forecasting a westerly week, throwing wet into the mix and some wind too, but it’s not all bad. The favoured cliché rings true, wet in the west and dry in the east.

“Western areas, the West Coast in particular, are set to have rainy weather, with the odd thunderstorm added in from time to time,” explains MetService Meteorologist Tui McInnes. “However, thanks to our mountain ranges on both islands blocking moisture from heading across, the eastern regions are set to stay mostly dry but maybe a bit cloudy,” says McInnes.

While Westland is set to have a mostly wet week, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay take the opposite approach and keep things mostly dry. The upper parts of the North Island might have a blustery mid-week and some of this wet weather too.

“With this dynamic weather, there are risks of severe weather and consequently we have a few watches and warnings in place for heavy rain and severe thunderstorms,” says McInnes, reminding everyone to “kia haumaru, stay safe.”

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