Forecasters are pointing to the potential for a big mid-month rainmaker – offering the chance of some slight relief for north Canterbury farmers battling an ongoing dry spell.
Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll said next weekend and the lead-up to it would be a “period to watch” for an influx of moisture, but added the picture could still change before then.
A vigorous MJO pulse is projected on the GEFS daily ensemble to move over the West Pacific during mid Sept. The strongest pulse into the region for 6 months. There is also an equatorial Rossby wave sailing through during the same period. Impacts will likely be extra moisture and… pic.twitter.com/e2HNJg5BE2
— Hauraki Gulf Weather (@HaurakiGulfWx) September 3, 2024
He said mid-September marked the time when the chilly influence of a rare heatwave in the polar stratosphere started to wane for New Zealand – while La Nina-like weather became more common as the big climate driver began to bed in.
“We’re expecting a bit of a pattern change which may begin to favour northerly quarter winds – and we know that those, whether northwest or northeast, are a moist wind direction.”