Cyclone Lusi on the way

Cyclone Lusi on the way

The recent fine and settled spell of weather will come to an abrupt end as the large anticyclone slides east of the country, opening the door for Cyclone Lusi to track toward northern New Zealand this weekend.

MetService Media and Communications Meteorologist Daniel Corbett commented,"The weather will change dramatically over the next few days, from fine and settled to wet and stormy in many places by the weekend."

Cyclone Lusi is currently lying just east of Vanuatu and is close to becoming a category three system (winds 119-157 km/h), with the potential to intensify further in the favourable environment provided by very warm tropical waters surrounding it. The latest on Tropical Cyclone Lusi can be found on the Fiji Meteorological Service website: www.met.gov.fj.

As Lusi moves towards the southern boundary of the tropics, it is likely to take a more southerly track, passing by the open waters west of Fiji and moving toward northern New Zealand.

There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the eventual track of the cyclone, but there is a strong likelihood that northern parts of the country will receive severe weather this weekend. Additionally, the current forecast highlights the chance of heavier rainfall for the east of the country, especially from Banks Peninsula northwards.

However, these are not the only areas at risk from the system, and the advice from MetService is to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and potential impacts for your area wherever you are this weekend - particularly if you have outdoor plans.

MetService will continue to update our blog site (blog.metservice.com)daily as the storm approaches, to highlight the risks for affected areas of New Zealand.

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