"There are a couple of showers around the region today, although there hasn't been any at our climate station just yet. That might change, though.
AUCKLAND CATCHING UP
After a dry start to the year, Auckland has been playing catch up with a wetter than average...
Posted by MetService New Zealand on Sunday, 25 August 2019
"A bit of rain looks likely tomorrow, as well as Friday. However, at this point, Saturday looks dry,'' he said.
"Given that, I think the best that Auckland will do this month is tie last month for the most rainy days in a calendar month on record.''
The MetService, however, recorded rain at its Whenuapai Airport base yesterday. As a result, its official rain day count this month is 26 days. The current record is 28 rain days recorded in a single month just last month.
The previous record was in August, 2010, when 27 rainy days were recorded.
Showers are forecast for Auckland tomorrow before a front affecting mostly the South Island moves in on Friday, bringing periods of rain to the city late in the afternoon and evening, before easing that night.
The only other day that may be completely clear is the last day of the month, on Saturday. However, there was a chance of morning showers, the MetService said.
MetService meteorologist Curtis Hayes said rain accumulations recorded at the Auckland Airport showed a total of 186mm of rain had fallen between August 1 and August 27. That was above average, he said. In July, 146mm of rain fell at the airport station.
"Today's not too bad of a day. We've just got those showers for the west coast of the North Island - so Auckland, parts of Northland and extending down to Taranaki.
"Then also along the west coast of the South Island ... have got some showers today."
BAD WEATHER AHEAD OF A FINE WEEKEND:
A front is set to approach the lower South Island tomorrow and will move up across the island throughout the day.
"That will bring some rainfalls to the west coast and also on the east - Southland and Otago will see some rain tomorrow morning through the afternoon.
The MetService said their systems currently had "low confidence" of rainfall accumulations reaching warning criteria in areas such as Fiordland and the ranges of Westland from the glaciers southwards. Northwest winds are expected to turn to stronger gales just ahead of the front. However, there is low confidence of northwest gales becoming severe in exposed parts of Southland - including Stewart Island, Otago and inland Canterbury.
"That front moves over the North Island on Friday, but weakens as it does. It's very broken up," Hayes said.
"There are periods of rain for most places, but not lasting very long.
"The front is expected to weaken away over central New Zealand on Friday, as the ridge across northern New Zealand extends south across the remainder of the country and remain slow-moving during the weekend."
A beautiful weekend is on the cards for most of the country, particularly on the first day of September, Sunday.
TODAY'S FORECAST:
• Auckland: High 15C, 7C low. Fine spells with isolated showers.
• Kaitaia: 15C, 5C. Fine spells, light winds.
• Hamilton: 15C, 4C. Fine spells, chance of shower.
• Tauranga: 16C, 5C. Fine with southwesterly breezes.
• Palmerston North: 15C, 7C. Fine apart from morning and evening cloud.
• New Plymouth: 15C, 7C. Fine spells, chance of shower.
• Wellington: 14C, 9C. Fine, northerlies.
• Nelson: 16C, 5C. Fine with light winds.
• Christchurch: 16C, 2C. Fine, northwesterly breezes.
• Queenstown: 13C, 4C. Fine, high cloud at times.
• Dunedin: 15C, 6C. Fine, northwest winds.
• Invercargill: 15C, 6C. Fine, some evening cloud.
