MetService News Release
Thursday, 21st February, 2019
Wind, rain and falling temperatures this weekend
Despite Tropical Cyclone Oma remaining in the Coral Sea, MetService are monitoring the potential for severe weather
which is expected to impact many parts of New Zealand during the next few days.
“A Severe Weather Watch is currently in place for Friday and Saturday for upper parts of the North Island, as warm
tropical air is expected to bring rain with potentially heavy falls to Northland and north Auckland,” says Meteorologist
Rob Kerr, “and the current Severe Weather Watch also covers a slow-moving front affecting southwestern parts of the
South Island, with heavy rain possible until the early hours of Friday morning.”
Other parts of the country are likely to get wet on Friday, with rain from Taranaki down to Kapiti, and scattered
showers over eastern parts of the South Island as southerlies develop behind a front there.
During the weekend the warm air from the north gets pushed away as a broad and active low moves out of the Southern
Ocean towards the country. The low from the south is expected to spread rain, strong winds and much cooler temperatures
across New Zealand from Saturday afternoon and parts of the South Island may see temperatures in the low to mid teens
for Saturday and Sunday. The heaviest rain is expected to fall on the eastern parts of both islands on Sunday.
“Many dry areas will see some welcome rain during the next few days,” says Kerr, “however, with the centre of the low
from the south currently expected to stay west of the country until it reaches the upper North Island on Sunday, the
Tasman District is only expected to see brief rain this weekend.”
Those heading to the Six60 gig at Western Springs in Auckland on Saturday are likely to enjoy a break in the weather as
remaining shower activity clears up early afternoon, and fresh southwest winds die away in the evening. Across the
Capital, we’ll havecooler temperatures on Saturday, then strong winds and showers affecting Te Matatini at the Cake Tin
on Sunday.
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, or download the MetService App. 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