Batten down the hatches: Wind gusts up to 130km/h as wild weather approaches New Zealand

Batten the hatches is the call as an unseasonable blast from the south makes its way towards New Zealand bringing winds up to 130km/h.

MetService has issued several severe wind warnings and watches before a front hits tomorrow that is looking to disrupt summer for some unlucky spots.

Even Auckland would see a windier - and cooler - week than usual, making for a less-than-perfect start to the ASB Classic tournament, whose main draw is under way from Tuesday.

MetService meteorologist Tuporo Marsters said a front was heading up the South Island tomorrow, with strong northwest winds before it.

Severe gale northwesterlies, gusting 120km/h, were forecast tomorrow morning about Stewart Island and Southland.

What a difference a new decade can make!

On New Year’s Eve, Invercargill recorded a toasty 30.2°C, its 3rd-warmest Dec temp since 1905. 🥵

Fast forward to Saturday where the forecast high is a chilly 12°C. 🥶

Why this drastic temperature drop? 🤔
Chilly southwesterlies 🌬 pic.twitter.com/FBArm1poIN

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) January 3, 2020

The gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures, and make driving hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

Strong winds were forecast to make their way up the South Island, before reaching the lower North Island in the evening.

A strong wind warning was in force for Wellington, Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay south of Napier, from 3pm with severe gale northwesterlies gusting 130km/h in exposed places.

The front would be followed on Monday by a cool southwest flow, with winds easing on Tuesday as a ridge of high pressure spread onto New Zealand from the Tasman Sea.

Marsters said Auckland would be largely unaffected by the severe weather, but would still get strong southwesterlies, some showers and temperatures around 20C for much of the week.

The strong winds could bring over more smoke from the devastating fires affecting Australia, but to a less extent than in the past few days, Marsters said.

WeatherWatch head forecaster Philip Duncan said New Zealand was going through an unsettled, windy, cooler phase of weather as high pressure was stuck over Australia.

The windy weather was because New Zealand was in the "squash zone" between highs to the east and lows in the Southern Ocean.

An active front will move swiftly across the South Island tomorrow and reach the North Island by dusk. Gale or severe gale northwest winds and gusts ahead of the front may be damaging. To see if you're affected, check the forecast as https://t.co/Yjbq0jxdqz ^Tahlia pic.twitter.com/wlqecGn6yT

— MetService (@MetService) January 3, 2020

The strongest winds would be in the South Island and lower North Island, but most places - including Auckland - would be windier than usual.

This particular pattern would also encourage cooler air from the south, dropping temperatures until the end of the week.

The windy weather would ease from about Thursday this week, Duncan said.

But there was no need to get too distraught at the slow start to summer; Duncan predicts the best could be yet to come.

"Summer in New Zealand usually peaks from mid January to early March, so we've got time to recover from a slow start."