MetService severe weather warning: 6th - 7th September. Video / MetService
The warm spring weather felt by many recently will be short-lived, with a cold front forecast to move across the country early this week bringing strong gales and even some snow to the North and South islands.
The complex low-pressure system sitting over the Tasman Sea will move over the next couple of days, hitting the southwest and west coasts of the South Island first.
It is expected to rain almost everywhere, every day from tomorrow until Friday but MetService is predicting the east coasts of both islands could miss the worst of the weather, with more scattered rain.
Get ready for a windy week across New Zealand!
These maps show the chance for wind gusts in excess of 70 km/h from Monday through to Thursday. 🌬️
Red 🟥 means there's a high chance, and there's a lot of red across the South Island and lower North Island this week. pic.twitter.com/SFEVF0PUdl
"The last few days we've had pretty stable and settled weather with that high out to the edge of the country but that's going to change in the days forward," MetService forecaster Sonja Farmer says.
The weather is expected to be messy due to a number of warm and cold fronts embedded in the system.
"They all have their effect on that weather ... It might seem like it's raining all day but in actual fact, it might be one front going over, a little bit of a pause and another front going over."
Heavy rain is expected in the south today and with strong winds and rain hitting many places on Tuesday.
Portions of the North Island including Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington could see 50mm of rain, according to forecaster WeatherWatch.
The projected total rainfall at 3pm on Tuesday. The scale goes from light blue, meaning low rain fall, to red, meaning high rain fall. Photo / Metservice
As temperatures plunge on Wednesday behind the cold front, rain will turn to snow, it says.
The North Island's central plateau could receive 15-20 cm of snowfall from Tuesday night to Wednesday.
WeatherWatch is predicting damaging southwesterly winds behind the front will impact the North Island on Wednesday with gusts of 80-90 km/h in many areas and possibly up to 140km/h in places such as the Manukau Heads in west Auckland.
The worst of the bad weather is expected to hit the North Island on Tuesday afternoon, snow is possible on higher roads on Wednesday. Snow may also fall down to 300m in the south.
Bethells Road as it washes out cutting off residents from Erangi Place in West Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig
And good news for West Auckland - at this stage the sodden areas hit by last week's storms are only in line for showers or light rain this week, Metservice says.
Today is expected to be the relative calm before the storm. The upper half of the North Island can expect cloud and isolated showers, with fine weather elsewhere apart from east and central parts of the South Island.
Monday is expected to be the relative calm before the storm for everyone apart for parts of the east and central South Island. Photo / Metservice
Heavy rain, snow and gale warnings
A heavy rain warning is in place for Fiordland, Westland, the headwaters of Otago and Canterbury lakes and rivers. Up to 150mm of rain may accumulate in some areas.
Heavy rain could fall in the eastern Bay of Plenty ranges and inland Gisborne as well as Mount Taranaki, Northwest Nelson, the Buller, Richmond ranges and Rai valley. MetService has issued watches for these areas.
Severe northwest gales may affect exposed parts of the lower South Island and the Canterbury high country from Monday morning through to overnight. Trees, powerlines and unsecured structures could be damaged by strong wind gusts, and driving could be hazardous.
Looking very much like Spring weather over the first half of the upcoming working week. Here's the latest Severe Weather Outlook chart. Vigorous northwesterlies ahead of approaching fronts and a southwest sting in the tail from Wednesday. Details at https://t.co/ePtVj8cXwp ^AB pic.twitter.com/9FlG5ITVaK
Strong wind watches are also in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato north of Hamilton, south Wairarapa Wellington and Marlborough.
