Whanganui weather: Mostly bright, warm, sunny week in store

A taste of summer is expected to hit Whanganui this week.

A sneak preview of some summery weather is on the way for Whanganui this week.

Whanganui, like much of the North Island, was expected to be “fairly dry and settled” throughout the week, MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said.

“There is high pressure that is hanging round over the North Island, so that does keep conditions pretty calm,” she said.

Despite a mostly dry week, Wednesday morning brings a higher chance of showers and they may also appear early on Friday morning.

The rest of the week appeared clear, O’Connor said.

The southerly winds that brought a chilly Sunday night and Monday morning would move to warmer northwesterlies, picking up through the week.

“Things are going to feel warmer this week,” O’Connor said.

On Tuesday and Wednesday a 20C high was expected, increasing to 22-23C towards the end of the week.

The overnight low for the rest of the week was expected to be 13C.

The highs exceeded the expected temperatures for this time of year, which averaged around 18.5C, O’Connor said.

The warm and sunny weather prompted a recommendation for people to think about sun protection “if they haven’t already”, she said.

“Coming into summer the sunlight is more direct, so make sure you have some sort of sun protection, especially in the warmest and sunniest parts of the day, even when it’s cloudy.”

Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.