The Weather This Week
MetService is forecasting that the front currently over the country will move slowly up the North Island today bringing showers, some possible heavy for a time, to parts of Aotearoa. The South Island gets a ridge of high pressure for the rest of the week which brings mostly fine weather, apart from areas of morning and evening cloud. Meanwhile the North Island weather is determined by a low which stalls to the east of the island, cooling temperatures and bringing some showers.
MetService Communications Meteorologist Lisa Murray explains: “Most of the weather action this week is over the eastern half of the North Island, with a change from westerly to cooler southeasterly winds, with Tuesday being the best chance of rain for dry paddocks in Hawkes’ Bay and Gisborne. The cooler southeast flow drops temperatures in eastern areas with Gisborne City dropping from today’s 29C maximum temperature to 19C tomorrow. This cooler trend and cloudy periods will continue through the week.”
Meanwhile, western areas of the North Island are in for mainly fine weather, with just one or two places getting a brief shower. Wellington can expect cloud to creep around the corner at times in the southeast wind direction.
The weather over the South Island this week remains settled thanks to high pressure keeping fronts at bay. Mostly fine and sunny weather dominates, with eastern and inland areas getting morning and evening cloud.
MetService is expecting increased activity in the tropics this week with a tropical cyclone expected to form midweek. “Fiji Met Service will be responsible for naming the cyclone should it reach tropical cyclone criteria. Current models keep the forecasted system well away to the northeast of New Zealand,” explains Murray.