Settled and warm in the north, some rain in the south

MetService News Release
14 March 2019

MetService forecast high pressure over much of the country this weekend, bringing warm and humid air over the North Island. Parts of the South Island are set to get a welcome dose of rainfall on Friday and Saturday, with a heavy rain warning in place for Westland.

MetService Meteorologist Kyle Lee explains, “Temperatures are going to be above average for much of the North Island this weekend with overnight temperatures remaining warm and humid making for ‘muggy’ conditions to sleep in.”

The east coast of the North Island will be the warmest spot, with Hastings peaking at 29C on Saturday.

For much of the North Island, weather should remain settled with only cloudy mornings and evenings as well as isolated showers. However, there is a higher risk for thunderstorm activity on Thursday afternoon with a moderate risk for the central Plateau.

In the South Island a cold front is forecast, which brings welcome rain to many parts of the island. This front is expected to stall over the South Island on Saturday, bringing prolonged rain to central parts of the South Island before moving onto central New Zealand Saturday evening. MetService have issued a heavy rain warning for Westland from Friday into Saturday. The Canterbury region is also forecast to get some scattered rain over next couple of days.

On Saturday the front continues north, reaching Wellington during the evening. By Sunday, the weather improves for much of the country as the front weakens away, with a few areas expected to see some showers in northern and eastern parts of the North Island, and northern and western parts of the South Island. This mainly settled trend is set to continue into the working week.

Details on current Severe Weather Warnings and Watches and any updates can be found here http://bit.ly/SWWarnings.

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