Another Bout Of Severe Weather Coming

Tropical Cyclone Dovi, currently near New Caledonia, feeds a river of warm air and moisture onto New Zealand. MetService has issued Heavy Rain Warnings and Watches for central areas from Taranaki to Buller, along with Strong Wind Watches for northern and central New Zealand.

MetService Meteorologist Lewis Ferris explains, “The culprit behind all the recent rain and almost unbearable humidity across much of the country has been a constant feed of very warm and humid air from the subtropics. A persistent northerly wind flow has kept this warm airmass floating around the top of the North Island.”

Relief from the warm and humid air begins this weekend for the South Island as a cold front moves up the country. However, another heavy rain event is lined up for central Aotearoa before the cool air moves in.

Ferris continues, “Areas already sodden from the last week’s rainfall will be watching this coming rain event closely. It is already the wettest month on record at Westport airport coastal station (records began 1944) – 470mm and counting. That’s more than three times an average February amount for that station.”

Heavy Rain Watches and Orange Warnings have been issued from Friday evening into Sunday for central areas; Taranaki to Buller. This heavy rain is forecast to accumulate well before Cyclone Dovi comes near to our shores.

“As the low-pressure centre gets closer, we will start to feel more wind (Strong Wind Watches in place) and there's the potential for dangerous swell for western coasts of the North Island this weekend too,” warns Ferris.

This is an evolving weather system that is forecast to bring adverse weather to many parts of the country over the weekend so it's best to remain up to date with the official severe weather warnings here: http://bit.ly/AllWarnings

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