A blast of wind, rain and squally downpours is returning to New Zealand ahead of a polar blast arriving this weekend and early next week. While we are still locking in where the snow is going to fall, it's clear many regions will be exposed to polar southerlies for a time.
It was a dramatic weekend with winds close to 200km/h, snow, downpours and dramatic temperatures. This week isn't so crazy with the first few days of the week far more settled and a bit milder. By the the end of the week gales and rain returns with a potential short lived polar blast on Sunday and next Monday (Aug1)
The season WeatherWatch.co.nz dubbed as "Sprinter" earlier this week (windy Spring plus winter) returns this weekend. Saturday looks warm in the North Island for late July with gales moving in and showers. Sunday is just as windy but winds turn colder SW. Next week sees plenty more strong westerly quarter winds for NZ.
It's been a blustery few days across many parts of the country but a short lived high means Thursday PM and Friday AM will be calmer nationwide. Friday may well be record challenging warmth wise thanks to a big northerly flow across New Zealand.
Passengers travelling across the Cook Strait will have much easier journey tomorrow as rolling waves subside.
As we kick off the second week of the school holidays we have more windy westerly quarter winds. While this means fewer frosts it does encourage more snow for the ski fields and perhaps a feeling that Spring is in the air, when in fact we are actually in the depths of winter.
The airflow around the country is most westerly at the moment, which is why some areas are fairly mild but across the weekend colder air moves in, getting even colder with snow showers in both islands over Sunday and Monday morning. Next week sees more downpours and a mixture of windy westerlies and colder sou'westers.
The airflow around the country is most westerly at the moment, which is why some areas are fairly mild but across the weekend colder air moves in, getting even colder with snow showers in both islands over Sunday and Monday morning. Next week sees more downpours and a mixture of windy westerlies and colder sou'westers.
High pressure is building over the South Island and will grow into the North Island across the weekend. Expect frosts across the South Island and maybe into parts of the North Island into Sunday. Lingering downpours will affect eastern North Island and Northland - but the should ease on Sunday.
A large low pressure system from the Tasman Sea is moving slowly across northern New Zealand during the next few days.
Heavy rain and gale force winds are expected across New Zealand this week.
Rain heavy at times will today affect the North Island then clears east on Thursday. A brief high rolls in for Friday and Saturday with lighter winds and drier skies. However another low with subtropical rain will affect the upper North Island this Sunday and Monday.
A large low crosses New Zealand today with a brief transition on Tuesday to SW winds and clearing skies. On Wednesday and Thursday another low comes in to the North Island with more subtropical air then yet another low with subtropical features arrives this weekend.
Another big low is coming in and this will bring more big downpours, some squally with gusty winds. The low affects the entire country from Saturday PM to Monday PM. Next week looks settled for the South Island but yet another low is heading for the North Island with more subtropical rain and wind.
Tuesday is the shortest day of the year (Winter Solstice) but the airflow developing across New Zealand is mostly out of the subtopics producing a very warm week. Friday and Saturday look to be transition days but a storm may cross all of the country next Sunday and Monday.
We have plenty of high pressure across the country this weekend with a cold front moving northwards. The highs will end up crushing the front on Sunday around Cook Strait. Temperatures will be average to slightly above average. The last day of Fieldays should see dry weather with the chance of an early fog patch.
High pressure is trying to dominate NZ this week but west to south west winds are bringing in a few light showers. A cold front is heading north over the next 12 hours but is weakening as it does so. Next week prepare for possible record challenging warmth across NZ as the subtropics return.
This week has kicked off a little cool but the week ahead looks average to above average temperature-wise due to more westerlies coming back, with subtropical winds returning to some areas by Friday. A brief cold front on Wednesday will see a burst of rain or showers move north but falls apart over the upper North Island.
The big high that gave NZ a stunning long weekend is now a blocking high to our east and is feeding in a warm subtropical nor'easter. By Friday and the weekend we are back to west to south west winds - with westerlies the theme for the next couple of weeks.
A large high is rolling across New Zealand this long weekend meaning cold mornings but sunny days. A few showers may linger around East Cape and north of Whangarei. Next week looks warmer and subtropical for a time.
A cold southerly covers the country but a big high pressure system is coming for the weekend and next week. While a few coastal showers will continue most places will be settled, with a warm subtropical flow coming in next week.
Daytime highs in the mid-20s when they should be in the mid to late teens, that is the forecast for a number of regions across both islands for the first week of May. The warm spell of weather might even continue into the third week of May for some in the north. We track the rain makers, wind flows and highs and lows for the first week of May
April is coming to an end and Philip Duncan explains the gloomy end to places like Auckland and Hamilton. May kicks off in Sunday with a change to warmer weather - infact the first week or so of May looks warmer than average.
Saturday across New Zealand kicks off mostly dry and settled thanks to a very large high-pressure system. However to the north and to the south of the country lie two areas of wet weather, and on Sunday these will move further in across the country. The north will see some heavy downpours potentially on Sunday while the south will see a cold front weaken as it moves north. By next week a very large high is rolling in bringing dry weather to most regions for a number of days. WeatherWatch.co.nz for more details.
High pressure is trying to push in for the end of the week and across the weekend. However rain just north of Northland may slide down the upper North Island. Most of the rain is offshore but just as we saw last Sunday it may slide in across done populated centres. The South Island looks mainly dry but showers may spread out of Fiordland into nearby regions a couple of times.
This week we have a series of Autumn fronts to move through, before a cooler SW change arrives overnight Tuesday and across Wednesday. This change will be ahead of a large high pressure system which is working its way towards New Zealand from around Thursday/Friday and across the weekend. Expect a fair bit of cloud around the nation this week - but the windier, cooler, SW change over Tuesday and Wednesday should make for some fairly sunny weather in eastern areas at times.
High pressure is trying to move in this weekend and for the most part it will dominate across many regions. Rain and showers will brush northern and southern coastal areas although most will be out at sea. Next week a windy change moves through.
Rain is returning to the South Island's West Coast but it won't be for long before it moves on to the North Island in the form of showers. On Friday the weekend looks mostly dry but some rain or showers will hover around coastal parts of the upper North Island. Next week is looking windier and showery for many places.
our Autumn weather pattern is kicking in now with more changeable weather on the way this week. A large high-pressure system from the Tasman Sea will bring in settled weather especially for the North Island on Wednesday and Thursday with rain moving up the West Coast around then and heading in to the North Island by Friday as a showery front.
A burst of subtropical rain and showers will kick off Friday night and Saturday but in autumnal change across Saturday or Sunday will see sunnier weather returning but with a few showers here - also there is a slight drop in temperatures. Next week a large high is rolling in settling the weather down in most places by Tuesday
Cyclone Winston is now posing some threat to Fiji's southeastern corner but won't have any threat to NZ until possibly next week. As for New Zealand the humidity is easing and the rain is too for most areas - just a few coastal showers possible.
A significant tropical cyclone is developing north of New Zealand near Vanuatu and may grow in to a severe tropical cyclone this weekend. The future track for this storm does show it making a direct hit – but we still need a couple more days to fine tune. We take a close look at the set up over the next four or five days.
Ex-cyclone victor continues to drive swells into our eastern coastline and humidity levels look intense for the upper north island this long weekend. We also take a look at Auckland and Nelson anniversary weekends - and the chance for more isolated heavy downpours in the north, especially on Saturday.