A bit of everything weather wise this weekend

A bit of everything weather wise this weekend

Monday 7 December 2015

The cold front which affected the South Island on Saturday and the North Island on Sunday is expected to move north of the country by tonight. Meanwhile, a southwesterly flow prevails over much of the country, and spreads over the upper North Island today following the passage of the front. This flow continues through Tuesday.

"The southwesterly flow to start the week will pepper coastal areas of both islands with showers and bring cooler temperatures for many. This flow strengthens on Tuesday and then eases on Wednesday as a weak ridge of high pressure spreads over the country from the Tasman Sea to bring more settled weather mid-week," said MetService Meteorologist Ciaran Doolin.

Late Wednesday, a strong northwesterly flow develops over the lower South Island ahead of an approaching front, with gales likely about high ground. The front makes its way up the South Island on Thursday, and is forecast to bring a burst of heavy rain to Fiordland early Thursday, before weakening as it moves up the West Coast of the South Island. A few spots of rain are expected further east as the front progresses north. On Friday the front moves onto the North Island, weakening as it progresses but bringing a period of rain to central and southern areas.

Looking ahead to the weekend, a fast-moving low pressure system skirts to the south of the country and brings another front across southern and central parts on Saturday and into Sunday. "At this stage, the front looks likely to bring a period of rain to western areas and northerly gales about central New Zealand," Doolin explained.

Keep up to date with the latest forecasts and any watches/warnings at metservice.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 and @MetServiceWARN on Twitter and at blog.metservice.com

ENDS

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