The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Your weather: Last day of sunshine before spring southerly blast brings rain, icy winds and snow

NZ Herald
8 Oct, 2018 04:33 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Enjoy the spring sunshine today before a blast of cold Antarctic air brings three days of rain, icy winds and even snow to some places.

MetService meteorologist Matthew Ford said a belt of high pressure remained over the country today, keeping the weather relatively settled for most.

The North Island was in for a day of temperatures mostly in the late teens, with plenty of sunshine and just the odd shower, mostly about the ranges.

Very similar conditions were forecast in the South Island, with even Dunedin forecast to crack 18C.

But don't get used to it, because by tonight it will all begin to change.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After the high-impact late-week weather maker, a strong ridge of high pressure is forecast to build back over New Zealand and linger for some time.

Below normal rainfall 🌵 and temperatures that gradually trend above average 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/5FraNHUOYj

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) October 8, 2018

A significant cold front was arriving in Fiordland tonight, bringing bitterly cold strong winds, heavy rain and possible heavy snow to some parts of the country over the next few days.

"The second half of the week is really not looking too good," Ford said.

On Wednesday the rain would spread across the whole South Island, heaviest in the west, with temperatures plummeting and bringing snow to 400m in some areas.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

By Thursday the system would make its way on to the North Island, bringing heavy rain to central and northern New Zealand into Friday.

Tomorrow's temperatures show a mild day, but most centres in the teens, with a few possibly cracking the twenties!
^Tui pic.twitter.com/Hs9qWSz288

— MetService (@MetService) October 8, 2018

A low was also forecast to develop along the front on Thursday which would track east across the North Island on Friday.

Periods of heavy rain were forecast about the ranges of Buller and Nelson, and the Richmond Range late Thursday and early Friday.

There was also a chance of heavy rain about Mt Taranaki, the Whanganui headwaters, Tongariro National Park, and eastern Bay of Plenty.

Heavy snow could fall above 400 metres about inland parts of Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson through to Friday.

A look at the mid-to-late week snow potential. Could be good news for ❄️ lovers, but bad news for lambing season.

A consistent risk for snow has been shown by ECMWF model, which means ⬆️ confidence. As we get closer our high resolution model will better pinpoint snow.

~Chris pic.twitter.com/c7NflcbbAX

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) October 7, 2018

In the North Island there was a chance of snow down to 600m about the central North Island high country, with higher roads in this area likely to be affected including the Desert Rd.

As the front and low moved away to the east on Friday, strong, cold south to southeasterly winds were expected for many places.

On Saturday there was a chance of heavy rain for Wairoa and south of Gisborne, but with freezing levels expected to lift by then the chance of heavy snowfall in the area was minimal.

Today's weather

Whangārei

Long fine spells, chance of a shower or two. Light winds. 18C high, 9C overnight.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Auckland

​ Long fine spells. Light winds. 17C high, 10C overnight.

Hamilton

Long fine spells. Westerly breezes. 17C high, 6C overnight.

​

Tauranga

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Showers clearing and becoming fine by afternoon. Light winds. 19C high, 7C overnight.

New Plymouth Mainly fine. Westerlies. 16C high, 9C overnight.

Napier Mainly fine with light winds. 18C high, 7C overnight.

Whanganui​ Fine, apart from morning and evening cloud. Westerlies. 17C high, 9C overnight.

Wellington Fine spells. Chance shower until evening. Northerly strengthening. 16C high, 10C overnight.

Nelson Morning cloud then fine. Light winds and sea breezes. 16C high, 7C overnight.

Christchurch Fine apart from some morning cloud. Northeast developing afternoon, turning northwest evening. 17C high, 6C overnight.

Dunedin Fine. Cloud increasing evening. Northeasterlies developing afternoon. 18C high, 9C overnight.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure
The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

Rifts among industry groups, charities and agencies in the beekeeping industry.

16 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Luxon on coalition friction
The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

16 Jul 01:42 AM
Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal
The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal

16 Jul 12:37 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP