Unsettled Weather With Hot Days For Many

The settled weather of the past week, brought by a ridge of high pressure, moves off to the east today with MetService forecasting a shift to wetter, winder but warmer weather for many.

MetService Meteorologist April Clark explains, “Today (Thursday) marks a shift to more spring-like, changeable weather conditions for Aotearoa as a broad area of low pressure rolls in from the west. The north to northwest flow ahead of this weather system brings warm, humid air, from as far north as northern Queensland, to New Zealand over the next few days. This subtropical air will provide the fuel for the heaviest bouts of rain which are expected over western coasts, and warmer temperatures despite the increase in rain and cloud across the country.

Strong Wind and Heavy Rain Watches and Warnings have already been issued for Friday as one of many fronts moves over the South Island. Tomorrow’s front, and the warm air ahead of it, does not clear the North Island until late Sunday hence warm days and sticky nights can be expected to last into the weekend for the North Island. Napier’s maximum temperature is predicted to exceed 25C from Sunday to Tuesday, while Auckland’s overnight low is forecast to barely drop below 20C on Saturday.

The South Island’s hot spell is expected to be briefer as the warm air is more persistent in the north as the front, then a number of low pressure systems, move across the Island from tomorrow. Though these lows keep the warmest air at bay to the north it does spread the rain across the east-west divide with not only the West Coast but also the southeastern regions of the South Island expected to see bouts of rain throughout the weekend.

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