Foggy weather has affected flights in Wellington and Christchurch this week – we explain why and give you the more positive forecast for flying this weekend. Humidity levels should also ease across the country by the end of the weekend after the south west change comes through. Next week looks mostly dry with a high rolling in and humidity levels look set to increase again in the north by mid week as the easterly flow returns to northern New Zealand.
A more humid east to north east flow is dominating a number of regions, especially the top of the country. The humidity is making the feels like temperatures lift by several degrees at times during the afternoons. The weekend sees a cooler south west change moving up the country but the weekend looks mostly dry. Philip Duncan also discusses how the summer weather is likely to extend well into March this year.
Two low pressure systems are moving in towards New Zealand, one coming out of the sub-tropics from the north east and the other coming in from the south west. The two will weaken as they move across the country this week, but it means some who need rain will get it – but the rain predictions for the upper North Island remain patchy and hit and miss. By the end of the week we have another sou’west flow across the country which means the weekend ahead may be a little cooler along our western coastlines, but sunnier and hotter in the east or north east. Don’t forget to also check out our great new animated wind maps in our weather videos.
The weekend is here and the forecast looks mostly dry across the New Zealand. High pressure remains in control of a number of places despite a low from the north and west trying to move in later on Sunday. These messy systems will weaken early next week but may – MAY – bring some rain relief to dry parts of northern NZ. It looks a bit hit and miss though.
An unsettled weather pattern remains over NZ for the next couple of days, bringing a slightly cooler sou’west flow to many areas on Friday. However as head into the weekend high pressure should again dominate meaning a mostly dry and warm to hot weekend across the country. We also take a look at the latest news about El Nino – which may make a return later this year which could be of concern for some farmers (El Nino can lead towards dry weather for eastern and inland areas.
The week ahead looks mostly dry but we do have showers around the South island thanks to a large but fairly weak low. This low will push some rain up the West Coast but as it moves into the North Island around Tuesday and Wednesday it will completely fall apart – delivering little in the way of moisture for dry parts of northern New Zealand. By the end of the working week another high is pushing in across the upper North Island bringing a warmer westerly flow (and sunnier, hotter weather to the east of both islands) which should turn to a warmer and more humid northerly flow by Sunday.
A sub-tropical disturbance to the north east of NZ continues to drive in cloudy, humid and mostly dry weather to northern NZ - but a few light showers and drizzle patches are in the mix too. Conditions for the cricket at Eden Park look mostly dry, although the next couple days do have a shower risk. The wind flow over the North Island for the next several days will be east to south east, while southerners - especially the deep south (about time!) will enjoy more settled weather thanks to a high.
The forecast around the country for the next few days looks a little unsettled but mostly dry., A weak area of low pressure will try to push south over the next week – and may bring rain or showers to the Gisborne area. Many other places look dry for the days ahead, with a risk of a few isolated heat showers popping up by the weekend or early next week as the sub-tropical system (which is very weak) slowly pushes closer to the north eastern corner of the North Island. The South Island has a cool southerly which will fade out on Waitangi Day – then high pressure should move in until next week.
Hot weather, with highs into the 30s, will great some people across both islands over Monday and Tuesday this week – but another cold southerly is coming for the South Island with highs set to tumble on Wednesday, especially in the deep south. However northern New Zealand is unlikely to be significantly affected by this change – with mostly dry and sunny weather remaining. The good news is that a high will move in on Waitangi Day – but a few areas will have morning showers and brisk, cool, northerlies. Chance of a shower at Waitangi itself, otherwise dry with passing clouds and an easterly wind.
A large anticyclone will this weekend drift across New Zealand bringing mostly sunny and settled weather to the country – but, as usual, there is a catch. This time in the form of a deep sub-tropical low which will brush East Cape. Strong winds and rain are possible there – but the south east flow will mean many western areas, including Auckland, should be mostly sunny, hot and dry. We also take a look at next week – which also looks mainly dry ahead of two possible lows (one from the north the other from the south) around Waitangi Day.
Another cool change is moving up the South Island while North Islanders are watching another possible sub-tropical low. Firstly, in the deep south, the unsettled cool weather continues as yet another cold front moves in. The good news is that this front is very weak - and it’s good news for apple growers too who are loving the cooler mornings. However in the upper North Island all eyes are on another sub-tropical low. While the data is still a bit unsure about where exactly this low will end up (likely East Cape or east of there) it is likely to affect our weather in some ways.
It’s a long weekend for the upper North Island this weekend and the forecast is looking great for those wanting to get away – but perhaps not perfect once on holiday! We have a small but aggressive low pressure system pushing into the South Island on Sunday with gales and heavy rain for some areas. This might also affect the lower North Island. The front will then fall apart over the Upper North Island bringing a risk of showers and plenty of cloud in the west. Meanwhile we take a look at the tropics, where another tropical cyclone is possible in week 2 in February. Plus we look at the next polar vortex slamming North America.
Another day and another low moving in, this time towards the South Island. While Wednesday looks much calmer, drier and sunnier around New Zealand, Thursday will see windier weather move in as a small stormy low crossed the South Island. The good news is that a large high is moving In for both main islands this weekend – but a question mark still remains on just how dry (or not dry) Auckland Anniversary Monday will be, for the couple of million people in the upper North Island who have that day off.
Ex-cyclone June passed Norfolk Island this morning with winds over 100km/h and torrential rain. The low is gradually weakening but is already sending rain across the upper North Island. We have a large calm area in the centre of the low, but around it are gale to severe gales. These strong winds are expected to move into Auckland and other northern areas during Tuesday as the low heads south and the gale sou’westers move in behind it for a time. The rest of the week looks unsettled with sou’west winds blowing across many areas ahead of a high this coming weekend…but for Auckland Anniversary Monday there may be some incoming rainclouds once again.
All eyes are on the tropics as a sub-tropical low drops south towards New Zealand. While it only has moderate chances of briefly becoming a cyclone it does bring a threat to northern New Zealand of rain and gales early next week. However the exact path of the worst weather is still unclear, for that reason we’re advising people to keep up to date with weather forecasts across the weekend. We also take a look at the cold change hitting the South Island at the moment and the weather for the Big Day Out in Auckland.
As the spring-like pattern gradually eases over many parts of New Zealand, allowing for hotter, sunnier, weather to move into the South Island, all eyes are shifting to the tropics where long range models have been picking for some time now a tropical low. This low may well grow into a tropical storm or cyclone before it reaches New Zealand, but at this stage it may weaken again before reaching our shores. Either way, Monday and Tuesday are days to watch next week in the upper North Island. Meanwhile the South Island has hot and sunny weather for the next 24 to 36 hours before the next cold southerly arrives there over late Thursday and Friday. We also take a look at the forecast for the Big Day Out in Auckland this Friday.
A number of people from across southern and western parts of both islands are asking this one question – “what has happened to summer?”. With highs struggling to reach even the low teens for some South Island areas, along with a fair bit of cloud for western places including Auckland, some are wondering when Summer will truly kick off. The good news is that hotter weather is coming – the bad news is that we still see a changeable ‘spring-like’ pattern for the rest of the month for some areas in the south.
In our final weather video for 2013 we bring you the latest forecast for Christmas Day across New Zealand, plus the prediction for the days following. There is some good news for farmers and those who need rain water – but holidaymakers may question the timing! We also take a look at a great photo from Toronto Canada, following freezing rain there earlier today. Plus – the Live Santa Tracker is back at WeatherWatch.co.nz!
We have your Christmas Day forecast, also a basic travel forecast for Christmas Eve. We also take a detailed look at this weekend’s weather. In a nutshell we’re returning to a spring-like pattern, which will produce “changeable” weather around the country, with some regions having fairly sunny weather and others having rain, showers and cooler winds. A big high is also rolling in towards the end of Christmas Day and into Boxing Day – as people head off on holiday.
More changeable weather is in the forecast for New Zealand in the week before Christmas with a few showers here and there – one or two with hail and thunder. For people heading away this weekend Friday looks fairly settled but the winds will crank up and by Saturday strong to gale force winds may affect inland Canterbury and Wellington region. But the forecast for Christmas Day still can’t be ‘locked in’ due to the changeable spring-like nature of the current weather pattern which will be with us for the rest of December.
Humidity and afternoon heating has led to a few days of significant downpours and major thunderstorms around the North Island but a front in the Tasman looks set to drop humidity levels on Tuesday. For Wellington and southern areas you’re entering a late spring pattern. Wellington has a northerly chance to a southerly every second day this week and gales are possible in exposed areas by Friday. The days before Christmas – and Christmas Day itself – still have a question mark but we know there will be a very large high pressure system around NZ – we just need another day or two to lock in where exactly it will be centered.
This weekend looks fairly settled but a few showers will continue to pop up here and there across both islands. Most main centres should be mostly dry with breezy winds. Wellington’s brisk northerlies should ease back for the cricket and the bulk of the rain looks set to affect the West Coast of the South Island with sunniest and driest weather likely in the north east of both islands. Temperatures should be average – even if cloudy don’t forget burn times are now very high.
There’s a fair bit of cloud around this week – mostly in western and southern areas as slow systems move across New Zealand. The forecast for most is a dry one this week – but one or two showers are popping up, again mostly western and southern areas. For the cricket in Wellington the weather looks mainly dry – but a shower is possible and the winds will be mainly from the north.
There are still a few rain clouds circling New Zealand but higher pressure this week and weekend means many areas should be drier. A few showers will pop up here and there, mostly western and southern areas of the South Island – but a few northern areas may see a few showers too. Driest areas look to be inland, east and north eastern regions. While we can’t yet see Christmas Day the weather pattern leading up to it will be similar to what we’ve had over the past 4 weeks.
A belt of strong winds will again affect our Saturday was possible gales returning to Wellington on Saturday afternoon. Showers will also spread into the west coast of New Zealand turning to rain the further south you go. Winds will be strongest in the east – so eastern NZ can expect high temperatures. But a southerly change is moving in to the deep south with temperatures dropping on Sunday as the change moves north up the South Island. Next week is looking mostly dry for the North Island.
Eastern and inland areas of both islands may be about to heat up significantly as a nor’west flow moves in across the South Island and lower North Island. Meanwhile in the upper North Island and some central North Island areas pockets of sub-tropical rain are moving down bringing relief again to farmers and gardeners battling a drier than average start to summer. Make the most of the rain – next week is looking dry for many main centres. If you love the heat – make the most of that too if you live in the deep south, as a colder change may move in as early as Sunday.
Summer is with us and while the weekend was a little cooler for some this week looks likely to be much warmer with highs at the end of this week potentially reaching 30 degrees. In the north another subtropical low - weaker than last week - looks like it might deliver a few hit and miss downpours for dry parts of the upper North Island - while South Islanders see a calmer, drier week for the most part with Canterbury ending on a hot note this Friday.
Summer officially starts in New Zealand and Australia this Sunday and the weather here in NZ may well be cooler than the last day of spring on Saturday! A strong to gale nor’west flow will push across the country on Saturday then on Sunday winds swing around to the south west for many places with cooler air pushing in. Don’t worry – the first week of summer still looks mostly sunny and warm – but the first few days look unsettled.
It’s hot and humid in the north – cool and cloudy in the south – and this up and down weather pattern will stay with us into the start of Summer, which kicks off this weekend. The South Island’s run of cooler weather isn’t over yet – and the calm conditions over much of the North Island are also about to be blown away by stronger westerlies. The main weather focus remains over much of the upper North Island for the next couple of days – but it looks as though the South Island may have more of the weather next week.
A low in the Tasman Sea – which brought torrential rain to Queensland on Friday night – is this week moving towards New Zealand and will bring rain, possibly heavy, to some of our driest northern regions. The heaviest falls may be a bit hit and miss but latest rain maps and forecasts all indicate a fairly good chance of a downpour this week, especially from Tuesday PM to Thursday PM.
Rain is in some forecasts for northern New Zealand this weekend but as you’ll see the computer models aren’t in agreement. While there is certainly a risk of rain and showers in the north the latest data suggests the weekend may be sunnier and drier than originally thought… good news for those heading to the beach, but perhaps not so flash for gardeners and farmers. There is rain on the horizon though – a low next week could bring in isolated heavy falls to northern and western areas.
Mostly dry weather conditions are setting back in around NZ but there are a few rain makers in the wings. The first one is a low north of Cape Reinga. The second will come next week from the Tasman Sea while the third low may move in across the entire country for the first few days of December. Only early days – but the models seem fairly confident at this stage. Next update on Friday!
This weekend a front will try to move up the nation – but will fall apart as it does so. This means the weekend will start of wet on the West Coast, windy for central NZ and cloudy for other western and southern areas. However by Sunday the front should have mostly fallen apart with winds easing in central areas. No significant rain is in the forecast until at least the end of next week when a possible low may cross NZ – but the models remain conflicted about the exact path and which regions will get rain.
Sunny weather has returned to western areas as a large high holds firm over the North Island. Calm and mostly dry weather is in the forecast for the next few days and weekend. However the cloudy weather in the west might return at times later this week and weekend as a light westerly flow develops this weekend. Philip Duncan also discusses the possibility of a rain maker in the last week of the month – but says the models remain conflicted.