Wind, rain and a drop in temperatures expected for Whanganui in coming days

Whanganui is set for rain and wind over the next two days as a low pressure system moves over the country. Photo / File

Whanganui is set to be hit by a moderate summer storm over the next 24 hours, as a low pressure system makes its way across the North Island, bringing with it rain, wind and a drop in temperatures.

Metservice meteorologist Jake Cope said the city is set to suffer dreary weather alongside the rest of the country over the next two days.

"We have an area of low pressure which is approaching the upper North Island from the west. As that rolls across the country, we'll initially see northeasterly winds and then they turn southerly on Tuesday," Cope told the Chronicle.

"There's also a period of rain with it. That first band of rain will be through most of Monday night and it won't clear from Whanganui until around Tuesday afternoon."

Whanganui is also in line for some strong winds, with a strong wind watch issued for the region from 8am Tuesday through to 8am Wednesday.

"The strongest winds will probably be further northwest in Taranaki, but the peak gusts you could see in Whanganui will be around 90-100km/h."

Temperatures are set to drop too, with Metservice warning of lower than normal temperatures compared to the last few weeks.

"Once the low pulls away and those winds turn southerly, the temperatures take a bit of a dive.

"Potentially, overnight lows over the course of the week could be 8 or 9 degrees, with daily highs around the early 20s. But certainly notably fresher than it has been."

Cope said the system is the first bout of bad weather seen in a few weeks, with Kiwis becoming accustomed to drier days and higher temperatures.

"It's been a while since we've seen something like this. We've seen pretty persistent high pressure systems across the country for the last seven or eight weeks or so.

"Even in its own right it's a significant event, but once you factor in the fact that people haven't seen weather of this magnitude in quite a while, it becomes more significant."

The good news is that the system is set to move away relatively quickly, bringing a return to the nice weather seen over the last few weeks.

"All the action this week is right towards the start of the week," Cope said.

"Once the winds have eased and the rain has moved away to the east, high pressure moves in. It becomes very, very settled, with lots of fine weather around. That high pressure stays with us through to the weekend."

On Tuesday, Whanganui is set for a high of 20C, with persistent rain and wind in the morning, easing by the afternoon.