A taste of winter
MetService News Release
Thursday, 09
Apr 2015
A taste of winter
The weather is forecast to dry up on Saturday as a trough gradually fades to the east. However, an active front is set to sweep across New Zealand throughout Sunday and Monday, followed by plunging temperatures and wintry showers for the south and east of the South Island.
The current wet weather will continue throughout Friday for most areas,due to a series of fronts moving over the country, with periods of heavy rain for the central and lower North Island. Severe Weather Warnings and Watches are in place with the latest updates available on the MetService website at:http://www.metservice.com/warnings/home
On Saturday, showers for the North Island fade away as a narrow ridge of high pressure moves onto the country, allowing blue skies to break through for most. South Islanders can expect a mostly dry Saturday, apart from a few early showers for Southland and Clutha.
Northwest winds begin to strengthen on Sunday morning, especially in the South Island. Later on Sunday and during Monday an active front sweeps up the country, bringing a strong cold southwesterly flow originating from the Antarctic. "Temperatures are set to plummet in many areas as a cold front moves up the country," said MetService meteorologist Emma Blades. "It's going to get pretty chilly in the South Island on Sunday night, with Alexandra and Twizel possibly dropping below zero." she added.
This cold snap will be the first significant outbreak of the year and is forecast to bring snow down to 400 metres for places in the lower South Island lateMonday which may cause travel disruptions on higher roads. Strong winds may also cause significant wind chill, placing exposed livestock under stress. For more detail as this event approaches, see the Severe Weather Outlook at:http://www.metservice. com/warnings/severe-weather-outlook.
Keep up to date with the latest forecasts and any watches/warnings atmetservice.com or on mobile devices at m.metservice.com. You can also follow our updates on MetService TV, at MetService New Zealand on Facebook, @metservice on Twitter and at blog.metservice.com