A fine and frosty start to a wet week ahead

30 July 2018

“It was a cold start to the week for many inland South Island towns”, MetService meteorologist Mark Bowe said. A ridge of high pressure drifted over the South Island on Sunday, leaving clear skies at night which helped drop those overnight minimums and see some frosts develop this morning. “Queenstown dropped down to -3°C this morning and Mt. Cook dipped to -5°C”, Bowe reported. “The high pressure will slowly drift northwards today giving everyone a generally fine afternoon.”

The weather takes a wetter turn over Monday night as a front moves onto the lower South Island from the Tasman Sea. “The lower South Island may see some scattered rain overnight but by those of us on the western parts of the South Island will wake up to a very wet morning on Tuesday”, Bowe adds. MetService has issued a Heavy Rain Watch for parts of Westland and Fiordland for the early hours of Tuesday morning and into the afternoon. The front makes its way up the country Tuesday evening and will affect many western part of the North Island, with Taranaki and eastern parts of Northland in line for possible heavy rain. Western parts of the South Island can also expect a moderate risk of thunderstorms as the front passes.

Wednesday morning will see many western areas of the South Island get showers with some possibly heavy in the moist northwest flow. “There isn’t really a break in the wet weather for those in western parts of the South Island”, Bowe comments. For those in the in the Bay of Plenty will also see a wet Wednesday.

A different story in eastern areas as they manage to escape the worst of the weather with main centers such as Christchurch reaching 17°C for a fine day on Wednesday. “The Fohn northwest winds will help lift the temperatures for people on the east of the South Island”, Bowe explains.

By the early hours of Thursday morning another weather system approaches the South Island from the Tasman and is made up of a complex low pressure system with several embedded fronts within it. During Thursday, this low brings rain with potentially heavier falls across western areas of the South Island and the southwest of the North Island. Moving into Friday the low moves over the upper North Island directing a general easterly flow over the remainder of the country bringing wetter weather there. “It’s going to be a wet finish to the week for many, with the complex low pressure system ensuring most of us in New Zealand will at least see some rain this week”, Bowe adds.

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