A pleasant Christmas Day and a rainy Boxing Day forecast for Whanganui

A pleasant Christmas Day and rainy Boxing Day are forecast for Whanganui this year. Photo / Erin Smith

Santa will need to pack board shorts and a rain jacket in his sleigh this Christmas if he’s planning to stay in Whanganui for any length of time.

Rainy weather looms in the forecast on Boxing Day in Whanganui, following a pleasant Christmas Day.

December 25 will be the day to target for outdoor activities, MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley said.

The daytime high on Thursday is expected to be 23C with an overnight low of 15C.

Some cloud cover is expected in the morning over Whanganui with a small chance of showers, giving way to clear skies in the afternoon.

Westerly winds will persist throughout the day.

“For Christmas Day it’ll be certainly a bit windier about the coast,” Pawley said.

“Those westerly winds might be a bit fresh but further inland, it’ll be calmer.”

The winds may increase into Boxing Day, which is shaping as a day for indoor festivities or shopping.

A band of rain is projected to move northward, bringing showers throughout the day in Whanganui.

“You might see some fine spells once it’s gone through in the evening,” Pawley said.

“But there’s still the chance for showers about.”

Westerly and northwesterly winds will be most unsettled early in the day on Friday, and will ease into the evening.

The high on Boxing Day, Friday, is expected to be 23C with an overnight low of 12C.

Erin Smith is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.