Unsettled weather to continue - 17 July 2016

MetService News Release
17 July 2016

It has been an unsettled week of weather, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, gales and snow affecting parts of the country. Most of the action took place over the South Island and lower North Island. MetService Meteorologist Peter Little commented, “Severe northwest gales blasted their way across southern and central New Zealand. Meanwhile, it was very wet on the West Coast of the South Island and Southern Alps, with over 300mm recorded at a number of sites. Thunderstorms lit up the sky in western areas as active fronts moved northwards, then as temperatures cooled, snow affected a number of South Island passes and provided most Ski-fields with a welcome dumping.”

A southwesterly flow prevails through Sunday, with blustery winds and showers for many places. Temperatures remain cool, and further snow is likely on the mountains, especially about the central North Island. Mr Little went on to say, “A period of snow showers is expected to affect the Desert Road Sunday night and Monday Morning, so people planning on using the road are urged to keep up to date with forecasts and monitor the highway conditions.”

The unsettled weather pattern is set to continue for much of next week as the Southern Ocean thrusts a number of features over New Zealand. Mr Little commented, “The southwest flow easeson Monday, then strengthens again on Tuesday following a front that is forecast to race up the country. The weather settles down on Thursday, but another front moves in from the west on Friday.” This means most places can expect a mixture of sunshine and rain or showers for the final week of the School Holidays. “It’s going to be one of those weeks where outdoor activities will need to be planned around the weather”, added Mr Little.

Official Severe Weather Watches and Warnings are reviewed and re-issued by MetService at least every twelve hours, and more often if necessary. To get the most up to date information on severe weather around the country, or any other forecasts, see 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

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