Wet and Windy Week

Wet and Windy Week

An active weather week lies ahead, especially for central and southern New Zealand as a couple of low pressure systems and their associated fronts sweep over the country. Warnings and watches have been issued for many parts of central and southern New Zealand as the first series of fronts brings heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong or gale winds during Monday and Tuesday.

"It's important to stay alert to what is happening as there are a number of features bringing different types of risk to different areas," MetService Meteorologist Rob Kerr stressed. "For example, heavy rain in the Southern Alps could result in rapidly rising rivers in eastern parts,despite significantly dryer conditions away from the Alps."

While strong or gale northwesterlies are common around central New Zealand,especially Wellington, they should still be treated with caution. "There is also a wee sting tin the tail, when a southwest change on Tuesday could bring snow down to 700m briefly about the Southern Lakes and Otago, and also Banks Peninsula could see severe gales as the low moves away to the east," Kerr added.

Later in the week, a narrow ridge will bring brief respite from the rain and wind from late Tuesday into Wednesday. However, another broad, complex low tracks eastwards across the country during the remainder of the week. This will likely bring strong winds to Auckland on Thursday as the Boat Show gets underway. As this low moves away to the east on Friday, it will leave us with a cooler southerly flow over most of New Zealand into the weekend.
ends

© Scoop Media