Plans to be Outdoors? Saturday Looks to be the Best
Plans to be Outdoors? Saturday Looks to be the
Best
The first long weekend in more than four months is set to start off on a great note for much of the country, with more of a mixed bag thereafter, say NIWA climate scientists.
With the exception of a few possible showers from Gisborne to Wairarapa, Saturday looks to be the best day of the Labour Weekend from top to bottom. Thereafter, location will play a key role as a cold front marches through the country from south to north and brings a period of showers, some possibly heavy. Behind the front, sharply colder air will arrive for Sunday and especially Monday for the South Island.
More specifically, in Queenstown, where the three-day Jazz Festival is on, it may pay to have sunscreen handyon Saturday where sunny skies are expected along with maximum temperatures well into the teens. However, you may be singing the blues on Sunday as showers move into the region, says NIWA forecaster Chris Brandolino. By Monday, drier but colder air is anticipated, as maximum temperatures may struggle to crack 10°C.
For those in Christchurch and Dunedin, “sun-sational” Saturday is expected along with pleasant temperatures followed by a period of showers on Sunday and colder temperatures on Monday.
At the other end of the country it’s good news for organisers of the Bay of Islands Food and Wine Festival in Paihia with sunny skies forecast for Saturday. The beaches are also likely to be busy with fine weather expectedSaturday and Sunday for those in the Coromandel as well as the Auckland and Bay of Plenty regions.
The aforementioned cold front moving up the country will likely mark its arrival in the North Island later Sundaynight, and into Monday for northern locations, with a period of wet weather, which may spoil outdoor plans. Temperature wise, the North Island may be spared the brunt of the chilly air with the core of coldest air staying east of the North Island.
If you’re in Wellington, winds are likely to be the big story, but if the timing of the front is perfect, most of the frontal showers may occur overnight on Sunday.
For more weather information see www.niwaweather.co.nz