Trending Dry For Much Of The Country This Weekend

A northeasterly wind flow that brought warm, moist sub-tropical air down over the country has now moved away to the east, giving some respite from the humid weather and associated intense rainfall. MetService is forecasting a dry outlook for most places this weekend, as a ridge of high pressure over the Tasman Sea moves slowly onto northern New Zealand.

The past few days of sub-tropical weather has seen records broken.

MetService Meteorologist Peter Little says, “Palmerston North Airport recorded its wettest December day (9am-9am) since records began in 1991 when 60.7mm of rain fell on the 13th. Yesterday afternoon, Westport Airport recorded a temperature of 27.3°C, its hottest December day since records began in 1966.”

Showery weather is forecast for the entire country on Thursday and Friday, as a front embedded in a west to southwest flow moves slowly northwards over southern and central New Zealand.

“The atmosphere remains unstable, so heavy showers and thunderstorms are possible in some places,” Little explains.

Over the weekend the atmosphere becomes more stable and showers ease or clear as the ridge moves slowly onto northern New Zealand. However, on Sunday a frontal system brings rain to the west of the South Island south of the glaciers, and patchy rain or showers to Southland and Otago.

“After enjoying a mostly dry and warm few days the west of the South Island can expect a period of wetter weather from Sunday into early next week. On the other side of the Alps, folk in Canterbury will be delighted to get some drier, sunnier and warmer weather after a dull and wet beginning to their summer,” adds Little.

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