Metservice Weather: Our Cold Wet Windy Weather.
More than 50mm of cold rain fell over parts of Canterbury on Tuesday, bringing chilling conditions to stock, and some
surface flooding around Temuka. Wellington also received about 30mm of wind-driven rain during the day, producing
several slips and extensive surface flooding. MetService forecasters produced several early advisory forecasts, and
farmers have reported few problems in coping with these harsh conditions.
"The good from this rain outweighs the bad," commented Federated Farmers Marlborough President, Mr. Pat O'Sullivan.
Federated Farmers North Canterbury President, Pamela Richardson, agreed and added that the rain is helping to set the
soil up for spring.
"Cold wet windy conditions are still persisting over Wellington, Wairarapa, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne", commented
MetService Weather Ambassador, Bob McDavitt. "Although they are not very intense, the prolonged nature of this chilly
episode is a concern for the stress it puts on freshly shorn sheep and young lambs. The rain should ease to showers in
Wellington later today, and further in the north on Thursday".
McDavitt attributes these grim conditions to a particular weather pattern called blocking. "High pressure regions are
lingering in the region south of New Zealand, and blocking the normal path of lows across New Zealand. This week the low
has been deflected into a path across Northland and that has been the cause of this stretched-out period of cold wet
weather."
MetService forecasters do not see much in the way of sunshine for New Zealand in the next week or so. Most of the South
Island may well be fine and frosty by Friday, but another low is likely to bring more wind and warm rain to western
parts of the country this weekend.