Brief interruption to settled weather

Brief interruption to settled weather

The dry settled weather that New Zealand has experienced over the last few days will be briefly interrupted by a front spreading north over the country during the first half of this week. The front will bring a spell of rain as it spreads north over the country during Tuesday and early Wednesday, though lesser amounts will fall in the east. More settled weather is expected during the second half of the week.

Strong northwest winds precede the front, and a watch for severe gales has been issued for Canterbury, Wairarapa, and central Hawkes Bay. "There is also a cold southerly change following the front on Tuesday, which should bring a noticeable but brief dip in temperatures, particularly in eastern areas," said MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey.

The front moves away to east on Wednesday, followed by a ridge of high pressure which will bring a return to settled weather. However, the colder air over New Zealand could produce frosts in some inland parts of the South Island and lower North Island on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

Following the ridge, another front is expected to move onto New Zealand this weekend. "It's still too early to say exactly how this front will affect the country, so people should keep an eye on our forecasts over the coming days as the picture becomes clearer," commented Glassey.

Looking further afield, the tropics are becoming more active as we get closer to the formal start of the Tropical Cyclone Season on 1st November. With a strong El Nino in effect, cyclone activity is expected to be above normal this season and MetService meteorologists are already watching the tropics closely for any signs of early development.

Keep up to date with the latest forecasts and any watches/warnings atmetservice.com or on mobile devices at m.metservice.com. You can also follow our updates on MetService TV, at MetService New Zealand on Facebook, @metservice on Twitter and at blog.metservice.com.

ENDS

© Scoop Media