Rain On The Way Out

A low pressure weather system in the Tasman Sea is set to move southeastwards over Aotearoa/New Zealand today (Thursday) and tomorrow. MetService has issued several Severe Weather Watches for heavy rain and strong winds. Behind the low, a ridge of high pressure is expected to build over the country, bringing settled weather for most this weekend.

MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker says, “The impacts from this weather system are expected to be brief in the north, with Heavy Rain Watches and Strong Wind Watches for Northland and Auckland lifting this evening. For Mount Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, and the ranges of northern Gisborne, the worst of the weather will wrap up overnight tonight. Tasman west of Motueka will see more rain until early tomorrow morning. Although total amounts are not expected to exceed warning criteria, further impacts following last week’s flooding are possible.”

In keeping with the theme of rain, it has been the wettest winter on record for at least two of the six main centres, with a week of the season still to go.

For Wellington, the Kelburn rain gauge has so far recorded 710mm of rain, easily beating its previous record of 621mm in 2006. 
“The new record is 80% more rain than the capital’s winter average, which is about 400mm.” Bakker states. The Kelburn station has been recording rainfall since 1927.

Christchurch Airport has also beaten its previous highest total. The station, recording since 1943, has clocked up 393.4mm so far this winter, compared to 2008’s total of 315.5mm, and just over double its winter average. 80% of that record-breaking rainfall occurred in July alone.

Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Dunedin’s winter totals are all sitting in their respective top ten on record, with some expected to enter their top five by the end of meteorological winter.

It’s good news for the All Black’s match in Christchurch on Saturday. Although cloud is forecast for most of the day, no rain is expected.

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