Changing weather whips up pollen

Changing weather whips up pollen

Picking your outfit this week will be a challenge, as a collection of conditions looks set to dictate the wardrobes of those treading outdoor catwalks – including those at New Zealand Fashion Week.

The week starts with a few showers on Monday, before drying up for a mostly sunny Tuesday. Tuesday’s maximum temperatures in Auckland will peak at around 16 degrees, a degree or so warmer than the average August maximum of 14.9 degrees.

Wednesday will bring cloud and a few showers as a swathe of warm air crosses the North Island, followed by a cold southerly running up the east coast of the South Island that night. This colder air has the potential to bring snow to 500 metres for the Canterbury high country and Central Otago, which could affect roads and livestock.

Thursday sees periods of rain again over the North Island, before Friday delivers potential for heavier falls as a complex low rolls over the country. Winds on Thursday and Friday pick up over the North Island and upper South Island, with a chance of northerly gales becoming severe in exposed places.

As the wind picks up, so will the pollen. “After the cold of late July and early to mid-August the pollen has suddenly arrived - almost entirely from pine”, said David Fountain PhD, Honorary Research Associate, Massey University New Zealand. “The great NZ pine pollen season is here and will spread to all regions over the next few weeks”.

“With so many weather features in the mix, it’s hard to call the exact timing and intensities of the systems at the end of the week.” said meteorologist Tom Adams, “Keep an eye on forecasts which will be updated as the situation becomes clearer”. The latest forecasts and any watches/warnings can be found at metservice.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 and @MetServiceWARN on Twitter and at blog.metservice.com

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