Wind, rain and thunderstorms start an unsettled week

The penultimate week of winter kicks off with MetService forecasting disruptive winds and heavy rain for many parts of Aotearoa. The wild weather calms down by mid-week, with the best day outdoors falling on Wednesday in the South Island and Thursday in the North Island. Another front on Friday completes the unsettled sequence before what currently looks like a calmer weekend to come.

As is often the case this time of year, a front from the Southern Ocean races up our shores, crossing the lower South Island today and the rest of the country tomorrow. Gale northerlies precede this front and Strong Wind Warnings for gusts of 120 or 130 km/h are in place for much of the South Island and lower North Island. There are also several Heavy Rain Warnings out for the western South Island and the Tararua Ranges, and by the end of tomorrow cooler temperatures will bring snow to the hills in the Far South.

Behind the front lies a bubbly cauldron of thunderstorms, visible over the Tasman Sea in the satellite imagery below. The hit-and-miss nature of these mean that the risk of heavy rain continues after the front has passed, particularly for the western South Island, although there will be significant variation place to place.

MetService meteorologist Tom Adams advises, “Throw into the mix downpours and gusts from fast-moving thunderstorms that slot in behind the front, and there is a good recipe for downed trees and flying trampolines. As always, people are advised to keep an eye on the forecasts and NZTA for possible road closures.”

By Thursday the last of the thunderstorms will have passed, and Aotearoa gets a brief break before the next front is due on Friday. This should move over quite quickly, clearing the deck for a potentially fine and sunny weekend.

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