KEY POINTS:
Hands up who's sick of the rain? Thought so!
I always think forecasters should never say things like "bad weather" or "good weather" but I can't honestly think of one person who'll benefit from more rain. Or can I?
You see, the reason why I don't
think forecasters should descibe weather as good or bad is because sunny weather might be great for holidaymakers but terrible for drought stricken farmers. Snow may be great news for skiers but terrible news for new born animals. So I don't want to be fast to label this next system as "bad"- but seriously, I think most of us are all getting a bit tired of the rain.
So to play by my own rules, who's going to benefit from this weekend's storm - oh yeah, did I mention that? We have another storm on the way - aaaand there it is - the collective sigh!
Well, who is going to benefit from the rain this weekend? I guess for those parents who hate standing on a windy, cold, rugby field or netball court they might enjoy another Saturday morning with cancelled sports - mind you, seeing the sadness in their kids eyes or the fact that they have to spend yet another Saturday morning all confined in their house could be pretty off-putting.
The hydro lakes are still a little thirsty and I'm sure the Government, along with the power company bosses, want that problem well and truly out of the picture. Some rain should get in to those regions too.
I really can't think of anyone else! Help me out here - post a comment if you can think of someone in New Zealand who needs more rain!
It's been nearly two months of wet weekends in our three main centres according to my weather colleague in Christchurch, Richard Green. He says he's been fielding plenty of calls from grumpy people who are sick and tired of the wet weather.
Now remember - and I really do need to make this clear here - I am simply the messenger. Please, do not load your guns....but....we as I said earlier, we have ourselves another winter storm on the way.
This low will rapidly deepen during Thursday creating a pool of air pressure big enough to swamp the entire Australian continent. That sounds fairly dramatic but it's true. Wind and rain will end the week - and the weekend will kick off with a bitterly cold southerly straight off the Antarctic ice shelf.
Snow may again fall to sea level about Canterbuy and Otago. For those of us based in Auckland and other North Island regions that means another cold snap on the way for us too. Bitterly cold in fact. We may even see more frosts next week if a large high spreads over us.
I get asked frequently "What will the rest of August be like?". I usually look back to look forward, and looking back we seem to be stuck in a pattern of low pressure systems in the Tasman Sea. Over the past couple of weeks they've been developing further and further South. Maybe we'll get lucky the week after next and they'll drop off our radar - but probably not!
Long range models show an unsettled 10 days ahead for a number of regions from Auckland to Invercargill.
This week - Friday through Monday look to be the worst days - yes I know - typical.
I realise I keep saying this, but hold on to this thought if the weather is getting you down: we're just over 2 weeks until Spring and six weeks until daylight savings begins. Feeling better? "Ohhh does that mean we have to wake up an hour earlier?" aahhh yes, you can't please all of the people all of the time.
Philip Duncan
For the latest weather news keep up to date with The Radio Network's new Weather Watch Centre or the NZ Herald weather section.
Pictured above: Farm animals were left to elements. This farm is on Roys Hill Road SH50, Hawkes Bay. Photo / Grant Harding