Rough and tumble May

"New Zealand is in for some very changeable weather in May", said MetService Meteorologist Georgina Griffiths. "The first weekend in May is forecast to be settled and dry - but active lows over the Tasman Sea soon bring in some rough and tumble weather", Griffiths commented. "Next week is signalled as stormy and wet for most of the country, with an elevated risk of extreme rainfalls in western parts of both Islands, as well as for Nelson." By the middle of May, a pattern change to cooler southwesterlies heralds in a change to relatively dry conditions for regions in the north and east of both Islands.

Temperatures in the first half of May are likely to swing from one extreme to the other - and then settle slightly cooler for the second half of May. "After unseasonably mild northwesterlies next week, a rapid change to unusually cool conditions is expected by mid-month. Eastern regions will experience the largest extremes in temperature in May," Griffiths commented.

"The unsettled weather we have experienced in April is expected to continue into the first half May," noted Griffiths. "Looks like we are paying now for the settled run we had at the start of 2015." April was extremely wet between Waikato and Wellington. Hamilton received more than twice the usual April rainfall (more than 200% normal), while it was the wettest April on record for Whanganui, Palmerston North and Paraparaumu. It was also a very wet may along the West Coast, with Milford Sound recording over 900mm of rain, and Greymouth and Hokitika well in excess of 300mm.

For May as a whole, above normal rainfall is expected for the western South Island, Nelson, and Taranaki to Wellington. Near normal May rainfall totals are predicted for Southland and Otago, while a drier than usual May is signalled for Canterbury, Marlborough, the eastern North Island and from Taupo northwards.

For more information, the latest Rural Monthly Outlook can be found under the Rural section on metservice.com.

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