Temperatures will well be 6C above average in the South Island this weekend, as a ridge of high pressure sits over the country. Photo / 123RF
Temperatures will well be 6C above average in the South Island this weekend, as a ridge of high pressure sits over the country. Photo / 123RF
Grab those sunglasses and hold off on packing away the summer clothes as parts of the country are expected to see the mercury soar well above average this weekend.
A ridge of high pressure sitting over much of the country will bring above average temperatures nationwide - with some parts of the South Island soaring to 6C above average.
And those chilly mornings many of us have been waking up to will also be held at bay with the warmer air coming in.
"We've got a ridge of high pressure which is dominating the country today, and we do have a couple of weak fronts," MetService forecaster Kyle Lee said.
"There's one weak front today which is affecting mainly the south and west coast of the South Island, and a little bit of the east coast this evening, but generally it's pretty settled.
"And that's the same story for tomorrow. And then on Saturday we do have another weak front that reaches the South Island and brings rain to the far South and West Coast of the South Island as well."
Most of the country would have mostly settled weather, he said.
"There are a few showers here and there, places like the Tararua [Ranges] might see a few showers on Sunday as well and then maybe the eastern parts of Bay of Plenty, but in general it's pretty settled."
The South Island was forecast to see temperatures "well above average for this time of year".
"It does look like going into the weekend it's looking pretty good for most of the country," Lee said.
"On Saturday places like Ashburton and Christchurch are going to get up to 20-21C," he said. "The average temperature for this time of year is around 14C, so it's about 6C above average.
Don't put away the summer gear just yet, as warm weather looks set to continue a little longer. Photo / Duncan Brown
"There's a similar trend all the way down the coast there, so sort of around the high teens or around about the 20C mark. The average temperatures for this time of year are around about 11-12C, so it's quite a lot warmer than what they're used to."
Temperatures in Auckland would stay at around 19C-20C - roughly 3C above normal.
"So we've got 19C today, 20C tomorrow and in the weekend it looks like it's pretty warm, but at this time of year Aucklanders are used to those temperature, but some of these South Island guys they wouldn't be used to it so it's pretty significant for them."
And the good news for early risers is the mornings shouldn't be so chilly either. The warm air will lift those morning temperatures up from the 7C it was this morning in Wellington and 2C in Christchurch.
A cool start for many as a ridge of high pressure dominates over New Zealand. A few stations dropping into the negatives this morning but the good news is that temperatures should increase throughout the country. Your latest forecast can be found here https://t.co/Yjbq0jfCz1 ^KL pic.twitter.com/1rHvOY6vBY
Only a few areas would see a hint of frost, he said.
Meanwhile, WeatherWatch.co.nz, said May would kick off to a dry start, with below average rainfall expected. The high pressure would remain dominant over the North Island for at least 10 days, it said, meaning the nice autumn weather will continue into next week.
FORECAST: • Whangārei - Fine with some evening clouds, winds tending towards the southeast, a high of 21C; tomorrow will have cloudy periods and southerly breezes, but a high of 21C. • Auckland - Fine with some cloud this afternoon, southeasterlies and a high ōf 19C, Friday will be also be fine, apart from morning and evening cloud and southerly breezes. High of 20C. • Hamilton - Fine, some cloud in the afternoon, southwest breezes and a high of 19C; Friday will be fine, apart from morning and evening cloud. High of 20C. • Tauranga - Today will be fine with southwest breezes, and a high of 20C; tomorrow will be fine apart from morning and evening cloud, and light winds. A high of 20C • Wellington - A chilly start to a fine day, northerlies, turning southerly overnight, a high of 16C. Cloudy periods on Friday with a chance of a morning shower. High of 16C. • Christchurch - Fine today becoming cloudy by evening with possible late drizzle. A northwesterly changing to a southerly in the afternoon, a high of 20. Tomorrow is mainly cloudy but fine spells in the afternoon as northeasterlies develop. High of 16C. • Dunedin - Cloudy with patchy drizzle until early afternoon, then fine breaks increasing. Northerlies change to southwest this morning, a high of 17C. Tomorrow is fine with some morning and evening cloud. High of 16C. • Queenstown - Cloudy periods, westerlies dying out, and a high of 18C; whereas tomorrow it will be fine with some morning clouds, light winds and a high of 16C.
