A cool Queen’s Birthday

MetService News Release
01 Jun 2017

A cool Queen’s Birthday

Winter was welcomed in with extensive fog for many parts of the country today, but generally benign weather and mild temperatures are the name of the game today. Things will change over the coming days, as a variety of weather systems affect different parts of the country.

The first player is a rapidly developing low pressure system which is forecast to pass just north of the country on Friday. While the low centre itself might miss us, the rain band spiralling out of it will bring significant falls to Auckland, Northland and the Coromandel Peninsula. MetService Severe Weather meteorologists have issued Heavy Rain Warnings and Watches for these areas. The rain warning will be in place as the long weekend kicks off, so drive carefully if you are heading away on Friday, and plan for delays.

“The trend is for a clearance during Saturday, but it is touch-and-go whether things will be dry for kick off for the first British and Irish Lions match in Whangarei on Saturday night” said MetService meteorologist Angus Hines. “They will certainly have a wet build up to the game” Hines went on to say.

At the other end of the country an entirely different weather system will be patrolling the skies. After a decent end to this week, a cold front will race up the South Island on Saturday afternoon, then onto the lower North Island during Sunday morning. Rain which comes with the front will be brief for most places, but expect the sharp change in wind direction to bring a chill to the air; a more fitting introduction to the start of winter. Maximum temperatures are not expected to top 10 degrees for much of the South Island on Sunday, while Wellington fares little better, with a maximum of 11 degrees in the forecast.

The outlook for Queen’s Birthday Monday is a little more uncertain at this stage. The chilly air dragged up the country by the cold front will continue to keep temperatures low, particularly over the North Island.

“While there is some variation in the different weather models,” added Mr. Hines, “it seems the east coast from Gisborne down to Marlborough, as well as the Wellington region, look likely to be hit by rain or showers as the long weekend comes to a close, with predominantly clear weather elsewhere.”

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