Unusual wind blows Timaru temperatures to 27C at 6am

Timaru experienced an unusually warm morning of 27C at 6am after unique conditions arose over the Southern Alps.

The event was due to a “Fohn wind” (hairdryer in German), that was transporting air from higher in the atmosphere and warming it up significantly as it descended over the mountains northwest of Timaru, according to MetService.

MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said the effect happened because of a narrow band of warm air and warm moist air that impacted against the Southern Alps.

🥵 27°C at 6am, what's up with that?!

💈 A Föhn wind (hairdryer in German) was tranporting air from higher in the atmosphere and warming it up significantly as it descended over the mountains northwest of Timaru.

🥣 This descending air was able to "touch down" around Timaru,… pic.twitter.com/pZhcCcduqj

— MetService (@MetService) March 10, 2024

“Once it’s done that there’s nowhere else for it to go but up, as it rises the moisture is essentially wrung out of it and what comes over into Canterbury is essentially just dry air.”

She said the narrow band wound up being perfectly aligned with where Timaru is.

“It’s quite unusual for morning temperatures, not so much for the afternoon.”

Further south, Ōamaru hit temperatures of 24.5C at 2am, but a change in winds cooled the place down to about 16C, she said.

Elsewhere, weather watches are in place throughout the country including strong winds through the Canterbury High Country that are expected to ease throughout the day.

There was a strong wind warning for Clutha, Southland and Stewart Island.