Polar Storm Moving Away On Tuesday

A significant low pressure system, that has brought southerly gales, rain and snow to parts of Aotearoa New Zealand, is moving away from the country on Tuesday.

MetService Meteorologist Stephen Glassey says, “The low dragged up cold air all the way from Antarctica. Snow has been falling in parts of both the North and South Islands, affecting many roads.”

New Zealanders can check the status of any road closures at https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic.

Cold southwesterlies ease on Tuesday and snow showers clear the country, leaving only a few rain showers affecting some southern and western parts of New Zealand.

The next significant weather system is a front which arrives in the South Island on Thursday, then moves across the North Island on Friday. The front, preceded by strong northwesterlies, will bring a period of rain as it moves north, with heavy falls in the west of the South Island.

“This next weather system will be completely different to the one affecting New Zealand today. Instead of air coming from Antarctica, most of the air will be coming from Australia, so it will be comparatively warmer, and snow is not expected to be a factor like it is with the current weather system," explains Glassey.

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