End in sight to devastating storm

Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

We all want it to end - the stormy weather that just doesn't seem to ease.

While we see all the pictures of damaged buildings, fallen trees and snowy streets, it will be the images of dead lambs that will probably haunt us most of all.

It's a horrible sight - one that most New Zealanders have seen before - but it's been a few years since a wintry outbreak hit in the middle of lambing causing so much devastation.

Not only is it painful to see, but it's painful for the economy. We are talking big dollars that are no longer going to be pumped into our struggling economy.

So when will it all end? Why isn't this stormy weather moving away?

Well, firstly, there is an end in sight. Secondly, the big storm that started all this drama has actually cleared the area - but it has sucked up the roaring 40s over New Zealand.

The polar jet stream, which normally lies south of the country, has been pulled up over the South Island and lower North Island bringing with it severe gales, heavy snow and bitterly cold wind chills.

But conditions will start to improve. For those who need it to improve most, the farmers in Southland, you will unfortunately have to wait the longest. The next two days will probably feel like forever. But there is light at the end of this stormy tunnel.

Like an injury to the body we need to wait for the swelling to go down in the skies over the Southern Ocean and New Zealand. As each day goes by the rules of science will see the isobars slowly moving back to where they should naturally lie. This means windy, wintry, weather will continue until Saturday for Southland, but start to ease in Northland as of Thursday, spreading into Auckland and other northern regions on Friday and Saturday.

Monday and Tuesday are looking much better for everyone.

But with the spring equinox here on Thursday we can expect more wind, rain and thunderstorms - and yes, maybe some more snow too. Hopefully this will be the storm of the year though - and everything that comes after will be on a much smaller scale.