MetService News Release
05 February 2018
Fine for most on Waitangi Day
A cooler southwesterly flow is spreading across the country today (Monday), bringing showers to the west and south and
even some snow for the higher ranges of the South Island. Meanwhile the upper North Island is in for another round of
scattered thunderstorms and potential downpours and MetService has issued a Thunderstorm Watch for today (Monday) for
Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, and eastern parts of Auckland and Waikato.
Most of this activity eases away tonight and then there is lot of fine weather about the country for Waitangi Day. A few
showers remain, mainly in the south and east of the South Island and southwest of the North Island. Another cool day in
the south, with Southland and coastal Otago centres struggling into the mid-teens.
“It is looking dry and generally sunny for the ceremonies at Waitangi”, said forecaster Cameron Coutts, “with a breezy
southwesterly and temperatures heading to around 26 degrees”.
Fine weather over the South Island as we head towards the weekend. Meanwhile, another tropical system moves down over
the northern Tasman Sea, with a strong and moist northeasterly flow setting in over the upper North Island on Thursday
and Friday.
“Winds may reach gale force in Northland and heavy rain is also possible there on Thursday and Friday” commented Coutts.