The North Island's weather is now being affected by Australia's new wetter, more humid, weather pattern. Are we shaping up for a wet summer? Philip Duncan from WeatherWatch.co.nz explains - plus we take a look at the weather for the rest of this week and incoming weekend as yet another Low pressure system from Australia's interior comes our way.
This week is a messy one but not looking too severe. Weak lows will drift from Aussie to New Zealand over the next week, mostly affecting the North Island and some drizzly weather later for Canterbury. Driest and most settled regions are likely to be the West Coast and Southland.
There are some positives coming to New Zealand - warmer weather for most, rain or showers at times for drought hit Canterbury, and sunny weather for those wanting to get outdoors. However, it's by no means settled and perfect - with rough weather surging across the country off and on for the next 10 days. Welcome to Spring! *Please note there will be no Friday weather video this week. Visit WeatherWatch.co.nz for further updates.
This week is much warmer than last week was with winds mainly coming from the west and north and boosting temperatures into the late teens or even early 20s. Towards Thursday and Friday a low from Australia moves in with strong to gale norwester, rain for the West Coast and even some spillover into Canterbury, esp on Sunday
The big high that brought the brutal wind chills over the past two days will cross the entire country on Sunday ending the windchill and bringing in much warmer afternoons. Next week warmer weather still moves in as this same high shifts north of the country.
A brief cold southerly is spreading northwards and will affect the whole country on Thursday. By Friday frosts return and the showery southerlies fade out of the eastern North Island. Warmer weather returns this weekend and into next week.
Spring is defined as winter gradually fading and hints of summer slowly coming in. This past Weekend Northland, for example, reached a high of 23 degrees but this Thursday just 13 degrees. Snow showers are possible in Queenstown and to low levels of Dunedin on Wednesday. In true spring fashion warmer winds return this weekend.
High pressure dominates this week and that means more dry, settled weather is on the way. The last day of winter in the meteorological calendar is this Wednesday but it looks mainly calm, dry and mild for winter's last day and the start of spring on Thursday.
The weekend is unsettled to begin with but winds calm down into Saturday night. Early showers for Canterbury will be welcome but drier weather is coming in there into Sunday as westerlies kick in. Also on Sunday, heavy rain returns to the West Coast.
A low - in fact several lows - will engulf the entire Tasman Sea by the end of the week meaning NZ is in for rain and wind. By the time the weekend arrives showers kick in but then also start to clear.
A large high is still trying to hold on to the country but is drifting eastwards. The forecast is generally dry bit coastal clouds and showers increase with northerly quarter winds rising on Sunday in a number of regions and rain moving in to the West Coast.
Plenty of sunny skies remain around New Zealand thanks to large high pressure systems. A little bit of cloud is affecting the very north and very south. The next few days are similar with high pressure dominating and milder northerly quarter winds kicking in by the weekend.
Finally dry, calm weather is pushing in across most of the nation as a large Aussie high rolls on in. A few coastal showers are likely especially the north east and south west corners but generally the next week ahead looks mostly settled.
A couple of fronts are coming in this weekend but high pressure is building gradually. Saturday sees patchy rain and showers weakening and clearing in the afternoon. Sunday looks even drier and next week may have several dry days in a row for many parts of New Zealand. Here's the latest detailed forecast by WeatherWatch.co.nz head analyst Philip Duncan.
A very small area of low pressure is feeding in a very wet but narrow band of rain into the upper North Island. This has lead to flooding just north of Auckland and more flooding are highway problems are possible across Wednesday PM and may also affect Coromandel Peninsula into Thursday - but eases across Thursday gradually. Elsewhere across New Zealand high pressure has lead to mainly sunny and dry weather. More frosty conditions continue on Thursday however a warmer westerly flow is returning to the country by Friday and the weekend. This may be a little warmer for many regions than the temperatures you have had in recent days - it will also flush away the polar air left over from the Antarctic blast last weekend.
New Zealand has a chilly week this week with south to south east winds blowing over the North Island to begin with and a large frosty high moves over the South Island. A few showers and snow flurries will affect the Hawkes Bay ranges this week but rain returns to the north over the coming days with perhaps not dry nationwide weather until Friday.
A significant wintry blast is moving into the country and brutal wind chills from the Antarctic region are coming in. In this video we display something brand new - the Misery Index - which shows wind-chills of -15 to -20 possible around alpine parts of the South Island. Meanwhile the bitterly cold air with run into heavy rain over the central and eastern North Island - with very heavy snow about the plateau and eastern ranges (watch for road closures), heavy rain in the east and gales in the south and west. It’s a rough Saturday for the North Island with major frosts hitting the South Island overnight and into Sunday. It’s a very busy forecast - Philip Duncan has the latest on New Zealand’s weather this weekend and for the start of next week.
Rainy days are here to stay for most of the country today, as the wet weather which has stuck around for the last couple of weeks shows no signs of abating.
Warmer winds from the subtropics are about to give way to southerly quarter winds from Antarctica. Snow is possible to sea level in the South Island with heavier falls inland. Snow is also likely in the central North Island this weekend with strong winds and rain. Temperatures drop nationwide this weekend with severe frosts forming in the South Island.
This weekend sees plenty of westerly quarter wind, rain and snow - and a few thunderstorms. Some areas in the north and east may not be too cold but snow may drop to 100m in Southland and Otago on Saturday night - and on Monday and Tuesday the nation is covered by much colder polar air - before a frosty high on Wednesday and subtropical rain by next Thursday.
A blast of wind, rain and squally downpours is returning to New Zealand ahead of a polar blast arriving this weekend and early next week. While we are still locking in where the snow is going to fall, it's clear many regions will be exposed to polar southerlies for a time.
It was a dramatic weekend with winds close to 200km/h, snow, downpours and dramatic temperatures. This week isn't so crazy with the first few days of the week far more settled and a bit milder. By the the end of the week gales and rain returns with a potential short lived polar blast on Sunday and next Monday (Aug1)
The season WeatherWatch.co.nz dubbed as "Sprinter" earlier this week (windy Spring plus winter) returns this weekend. Saturday looks warm in the North Island for late July with gales moving in and showers. Sunday is just as windy but winds turn colder SW. Next week sees plenty more strong westerly quarter winds for NZ.
It's been a blustery few days across many parts of the country but a short lived high means Thursday PM and Friday AM will be calmer nationwide. Friday may well be record challenging warmth wise thanks to a big northerly flow across New Zealand.
Passengers travelling across the Cook Strait will have much easier journey tomorrow as rolling waves subside.
As we kick off the second week of the school holidays we have more windy westerly quarter winds. While this means fewer frosts it does encourage more snow for the ski fields and perhaps a feeling that Spring is in the air, when in fact we are actually in the depths of winter.
The airflow around the country is most westerly at the moment, which is why some areas are fairly mild but across the weekend colder air moves in, getting even colder with snow showers in both islands over Sunday and Monday morning. Next week sees more downpours and a mixture of windy westerlies and colder sou'westers.
The airflow around the country is most westerly at the moment, which is why some areas are fairly mild but across the weekend colder air moves in, getting even colder with snow showers in both islands over Sunday and Monday morning. Next week sees more downpours and a mixture of windy westerlies and colder sou'westers.
High pressure is building over the South Island and will grow into the North Island across the weekend. Expect frosts across the South Island and maybe into parts of the North Island into Sunday. Lingering downpours will affect eastern North Island and Northland - but the should ease on Sunday.
A large low pressure system from the Tasman Sea is moving slowly across northern New Zealand during the next few days.
Heavy rain and gale force winds are expected across New Zealand this week.
Rain heavy at times will today affect the North Island then clears east on Thursday. A brief high rolls in for Friday and Saturday with lighter winds and drier skies. However another low with subtropical rain will affect the upper North Island this Sunday and Monday.
A large low crosses New Zealand today with a brief transition on Tuesday to SW winds and clearing skies. On Wednesday and Thursday another low comes in to the North Island with more subtropical air then yet another low with subtropical features arrives this weekend.
Another big low is coming in and this will bring more big downpours, some squally with gusty winds. The low affects the entire country from Saturday PM to Monday PM. Next week looks settled for the South Island but yet another low is heading for the North Island with more subtropical rain and wind.