MetService National Weather: September 24th - 26th
MetService warns "significant severe weather" is expected this weekend, as an Antarctic blast hits the South Island to end the month. Severe weather warnings are likely to be issued today as wild conditions approach. MetService urges people to keep an eye on the forecast, especially if they are travelling this weekend.
"An active front is forecast to move eastwards across New Zealand over the weekend, preceded by a strong and moist north-to-northwest flow and followed by a strong and cold west-to-southwest flow into early next week," MetService says.
"This front delivers a period of heavy rain to some western areas, severe gales for many places, and snow to low levels across western and southern parts of the South Island."
#MiseryIndex: The biggest pool of Antarctic air to move into #NewZealand for 2020 is forecast this Monday.
Here's the wind map with areas in white/blue shading indicating sub-zero wind chill.#Southland Farmers - prepare now.
Heavy rainfall will likely approach warning levels in Fiordland, southern Westland and the Canterbury and Otago headwaters, coupled with north-to-northwesterly winds becoming severe at times.
Northern Westland, Buller, Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds, including the Richmond Ranges, have a 40 per cent chance for wind and rain, MetService said.
In the east of the South Island, there is a 60 per cent likelihood - of severe gale northwesterlies for the remainder of Marlborough and Canterbury on Saturday and Sunday.
A significant severe weather event is expected to hit much of the country this weekend. Photo / Metservice
Across the North Island, severe gale northwesterlies are very likely to hit south Taranaki, across to Wairarapa and down to Wellington from late Saturday through to Sunday.
The remainder of the North Island has a two-in-five chance of getting lashed by severe gales, the forecaster said.
Sunday will bring rain and a small possibility it will reach warning amounts in Taranaki, the King Country, the Central Plateau, the eastern Bay of Plenty Ranges and the Tararua Range.
Next week will bring snow to low levels, which forecasters predict will be challenging for livestock in the South Island.
"On Monday and Tuesday, snow is forecast to reach low levels in the far south, possibly down to sea level, with low confidence of heavy snow above 200m in Fiordland, Southland and Clutha," MetService said.
👀This isn't something you see every day👀 How many isobars?!? Look at the gales in this loop, forecast to lash much of the country this weekend, and also how much snow in the Alps there is behind it. Expect significant transport disruptions to start the school holidays ^TA pic.twitter.com/RVb69OxzZu
Widespread Severe Weather forecast with deep low and front this weekend and Monday. Chart compares pressure difference-an indicator of severe gales-with impacts from previous years. Warnings issued soon https://t.co/qHyE5zhh6X ^TA pic.twitter.com/VpPhdco5H7
South Island: Showers in the west, turning to rain, possibly heavy. Rain developing about Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury High Country and Southern Lakes later. Partly cloudy elsewhere.
Sunday
Rain, with heavy falls, turning to showers but clearing eastern regions north of Otago. Snow lowering to 600m about Buller, sloping to 400m in the Far South.
Monday
North Island: A few showers in the west, snow to 1000m. Fine in the east and Wellington.
South Island: Showers in the west and south, spreading elsewhere for a time. Snow to 500m about Buller, sloping to low levels in the far south.
Chatham Islands
Fine spells and light winds. Rain and gale northerlies developing Sunday, turning to showers on Monday with a strong westerly change.
