Whanganui weather: What to expect this week

A fine start to 2024 has been forecast for Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui residents can expect a sunny start to 2024, with fine conditions and not much wind.

MetService meteorologist Alywn Bakker said after an end to the year which was dominated by heavy showers and muggy conditions, New Year’s Day would see a raft of improvements.

“Tomorrow (January 1) we’re expecting those showers to clear up. It will be a fine morning and that generally nice weather is going to be continuing on,” he said.

Bakker said the weather was likely to stay fine throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.

The fine conditions were a result of a large ridge of high pressure over the country and the high-pressure system meant winds would also be calm throughout the start of the week.

Temperature-wise, Whanganui would record daytime highs in the low to mid-20s all through the start of the week, Bakker said.

A high of 21C is forecast for Monday, with 23C on Tuesday and 24C on Wednesday.

Overnight temperatures will be cooler than last week.

“It will be 11C (overnight) on Monday, 14C Tuesday, 13C Wednesday,” Bakker said.

“It’s going to be lovely.”

Meanwhile, MetService meteorologist Hannah Moes said there was 21mm of rain in Whanganui between 8am and 3pm on December 31.

“That includes an hour this morning where you saw nearly 12mm in a one-hour period - that’s very intense rainfall,” she said.

In neighbouring areas, 20mm of rain was recorded at Santoft near Bulls and 30mm was recorded at both Ohakea and Raetihi.

Rain is forecast to return to Whanganui by the end of the working week.

Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.