'Colder than normal' temperatures are expected in parts of the country this week. Image / Windy
'Colder than normal' temperatures are expected in parts of the country this week. Image / Windy
A high-pressure system is set to sweep across the country, bringing mostly dry and settled weather – but some parts of the country are in for “quite a chilly week”.
MetService lead forecaster Luis Fernandes told the Herald the week’s weather is “generally high pressure dominant over New Zealand”.
“As is usually the case when a high pressure sits over the country, it’s a mostly settled week for many areas,” Fernandes said.
Another slow-moving area of high pressure (🔴) will track over New Zealand during the next week or so.
🌦️ While this doesn't mean completely dry weather (as some coastal areas will see occasional showers), it does mean that mostly settled weather is on the cards. pic.twitter.com/KOkI5qX3DR
“We will still see a few showers in places, especially for the start of the week. Monday and Tuesday in particular around Northland, Auckland and Coromandel we are expecting some wet weather. But on Wednesday, those areas do start to clear up.
“Elsewhere over the country [is] generally dry. There will be a few showers for some of the coastal areas, in particular in the far south for Fiordland, Southland and Clutha.
“And also along parts of the east coast towards Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, there will be a few periods of showers coming through over the course of this week, but for the most part, no significant weather systems expected to be affecting New Zealand.”
But with the more settled and dry weather also comes the cold, with Fernandes forecasting “quite a chilly week for most areas”.
'Colder than normal' temperatures are expected in parts of the country this week. Image / Windy
“This week will be quite cold, colder than normal for this time of the year for many parts of New Zealand.
“In particular parts of the North Island, we are expecting frosts, especially into Tuesday and Wednesday morning for much of the central part … towards the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay, as well as [the] Gisborne region, where we will see temperatures close to, if not dipping just a little bit below zero, especially on Tuesday morning.
“And we will see temperatures rising slightly into the middle of the week, but likely to still see frosts, especially for parts of the interior and the high ground of the North Island.”
Temperatures in the South Island are expected to be more “within a normal range for this time of the year”.
“Minimum temperatures [are] still expected to be getting into the low single digits for many places, if not even below zero for some of the mountainous areas. And then maximum temperatures reaching the mid-teens for most places over New Zealand for most days this week.”
Despite the colder temperatures, Fernandes said no snow is forecast this week.
