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A wet start to the New Year
MetService News Release
31 December
2015
A wet start to the New
Year
Severe weather, particularly heavy
rain, will lead the headlines as we move into the New Year.
While New Year’s Eve looks good for most places, including
key holiday spots, heavy rain and strong winds will make
their way south over the first few days of 2016. This is due
to a low pressure system to the north of the country, which
is dragging very humid air from the tropics right towards
New Zealand; a recipe for wet, muggy days.
MetService has issued a Severe Weather Warning for heavy rain in Northland, northern Auckland and Great Barrier Island, beginning early Friday morning. As well as this, MetService has issued a Severe Weather Watch encompassing heavy rain and strong wind in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. The rain will continue to march south, dousing the whole of the North Island by Saturday morning, and the Watch and Warning will be updated accordingly.
The South Island gets a far better start to 2016, with a ridge of high pressure dominating the weather there. This will be short lived, as the rain over the North Island pushes southward, reaching Marlborough, Nelson and Buller early on Saturday. “There could be some useful falls of rain for the parched upper South Island, but the extent remains uncertain at the moment,” said MetService Meteorologist Angus Hines.
When asked about summer holiday spots, Mr Hines commented, “It is going to be especially important for campers and holiday makers to monitor the forecasts, as many popular destinations look set for some prolonged rain and gusty winds. I certainly recommend packing a good book.” People planning on spending time on the water should also be vigilant, especially about the east coast where high swell and strong winds are forecast.
The outlook for next week is more positive, with a cold front pushing up the country early in the week clearing away most of the rain. Behind this front a ridge of high pressure will begin to develop and we will hopefully see a return to settled summer weather.
ENDS
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