If you’ve found winter to be mild so far – get ready for a shock. A blast of polar air directly off the Antarctic ice shelf, near Scott Base, is going to roar across the country starting in the Deep South this Wednesday then spreading across the entire country over Thursday and Friday. Expect road closures, flight delays and possible ferry delays. Winter has finally arrived.
A large but sluggish Tasman Sea low is moving in towards New Zealand bringing a change to northerlies and rain. Rain looks to be heaviest on Sunday for northern and western areas with a chance of thunder even. At the same time cold easterlies will become even colder for eastern and southern parts of the South Island this weekend and into next week.
The cold snap is still coming – but latest computer models show a high east of NZ is likely to slow everything down – with rain clouds moving in this weekend, then a colder sou’west change for all of NZ is expected by mid to late next week. We also update you on weather conditions for Fieldays at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.
The week ahead will see mostly settled weather as a high moves in over the North Island and parts of the South. However by this weekend a large high over Tasmania will combine with a low south east of NZ – often the perfect set up for a cold southerly across the entire country.
It might be Winter now but the weather pattern looks stuck on Autumn mode with changeable conditions this weekend. Rain, heavy at times, will move up the West Coast on Saturday then into the North Island on Sunday. Eastern areas of both islands should be mostly dry, but northern New Zealand looks wet or showery on Sunday.
A colder south to south east wind flow is moving up the North Island over Wednesday and Thursday – as a high pushes over the South Island bringing more frosts. The high will push into the North Island by the end of the week then by the weekend the wind flow shifts more west to north west – bringing back warmer weather for many regions, although rain is predicted to move up the West Coast.
The North Island looks likely to see cloud and fog patches but the lightest winds, driest weather and warmest air is likely to be over the North Island. Nor’westers will build around the lower North Island though, and indication that gusty winds are affecting eastern areas of the South Island while the weekend starts off wet on the West Coast before a cold southerly change pushes into the Deep South on Queens Birthday Monday.
Our cold change hit, the country shivered and now the weather pattern is already swinging back to more Autumn like weather. This weekend we have a mixture of weather, from sun and calm weather to gales, heavy rain and even snow again.
Winter has arrived…even if only for two days. A short, sharp, burst of cold air from near the Antarctic ice shelf looks set to bring snow to sea level in the South Island and may affect roads and air travel for a time. Temperatures nationwide are also set to take a big hit for the next few days.
Weather analyst Philip Duncan lets us know what to expect in terms of weather this weekend which is shaping up to be a wet one.
A complex low pressure system (in other words, one that brings a variety of weather) is moving in and has already brought a wet Friday to some parts of western NZ. Over the next week the low will slowly move towards and across the country bringing a real mix of weather, from periods of rain, to just a few showers, or long sunny dry spells. A forecaster's nightmare!
A large low pressure system looks set to bring several days of unsettled weather – by that we don’t mean several days of rain, but instead a messy forecast with cloud, rain, showers and dry spells all in the mix for the weekend and week ahead.
In a complete turnaround from last week the weather over the next few days appears to be dominated by a high. A change could move in later in the week for the south as Phil Duncan explains..
Another low pressure system another band of rain and more showers are all in the forecast for this weekend – but the overall pattern is for sunnier, drier, weather to move in. Winds will shift more southerly so things will be cool to start with, but sunnier and slightly warmer weather should move in for the start of next week – before the next rain maker in about 7 days.
Weather analyst Philip Duncan lets us know what to expect in terms of weather this week which is shaping up to be a wet one.
Reader Tony Davis' video of the Old Bank Arcade in Wellington being flooded, followed by Michael Ricketts video of flooded streets and businesses.
Streets were flooded and a tree was uprooted as torrential rain hit Auckland.
Weather analyst Philip Duncan lets us know what to expect in terms of weather this ANZAC Day.
Weather analyst Philip Duncan lets us know what to expect in terms of weather this ANZAC Day and explains the highs and lows around the country.
Residents from Richmond, Nelson began the clean up after the area was soaked with torrential rain fall causing flash floods. Authorities estimate at least 90 homes in the Tasman District have had some flood inundation as a result of the heavy rain over the past 24 hours. Nelson-Tasman Region Emergency Management Group said building inspectors were checking properties that had been affected. Forecast for the Nelson area is expected to receive more heavy rain over the next 24 hours.
This was filmed at the Hill St. & Champion Rd intersection in Richmond, Nelson. courtesy of Howie Field
The second highest rainfall recorded in New Zealand in one hour soaked the region yesterday, and MetService has forecast more bad weather for the top of the South Island. Emergency services were inundated with calls for help from residents in the Richmond and Stoke areas as roads were closed, motorists trapped and homes swamped.
Weather analyst Philip Duncan lets us know what to expect in terms of weather this weekend and explains the highs and lows around the country.
Wednesday sees the sub-tropical low finally clearing New Zealand leaving a day or two of drier weather. However by Friday more showers are expected and a new big low looks likely to impact our weather next week with more rain, but sun in the forecast too.
The sub-tropical low we first talked about 10 days ago is now deepening and looks set to bring a period of heavy rain, showers and strong winds on Monday and Tuesday. Philip Duncan has the latest.
An Autumnal swing in our weather this week will see the chance of a frost for Central Otago overnight and rain moving into the North Island. Temperatures will drop behind the front as winds swing to the southerly quarter. And while next week looks mostly dry some models are hinting at a possible sub-tropical low in mid-April.
By air, road or sea - WeatherWatch.co.nz has you covered for getting away this long weekend.
Rain is moving in to the West Coast this long weekend, with a few showers possible in the north and south. Weather conditions will start off warm to hot for most places but by Monday and Tuesday a cooler more Autumn-like sou’wester will move in.
The weather across NZ will be mostly settled this week after rain today on the West Coast fizzles out. A large high will spread across NZ until the long weekend – but a few showers are possible on Good Friday then we may see a Southern Ocean storm just graze NZ bringing wind, rain and showers to a number of regions.
Patches of rain and showers will push across New Zealand on Sunday and Monday bringing relief to some, but only teasing others. Rain will be heaviest along the West Coast of the South Island with the driest weather in the east of the North Island. We also track a cyclone that may impact the North Island on Good Friday.
March 1 marks the official start to Autumn in NZ - but what makes it "official" and why are so many people saying summer still has 3 more weeks to go? We also track any potential rainmakers (a few showers coming in this weekend) and we update you on the sub-tropical low expected north of NZ around mid-March, and how - if it all - it might impact us.
A very large high pressure system means summer will end this week on a mostly sunny and hot note. With nights now about 90 minutes longer than they were back in December expect cooler mornings but still warm to hot days. Little in the way of rain but showers are possible in the North Island's north east and in the Deep South.