Metservice Weather: Our Cold Wet Windy Weather.

More than 50mm of cold rain fell over parts of Canterbury on Tuesday, bringing chilling conditions to stock, and some surface flooding around Temuka. Wellington also received about 30mm of wind-driven rain during the day, producing several slips and extensive surface flooding. MetService forecasters produced several early advisory forecasts, and farmers have reported few problems in coping with these harsh conditions.

"The good from this rain outweighs the bad," commented Federated Farmers Marlborough President, Mr. Pat O'Sullivan. Federated Farmers North Canterbury President, Pamela Richardson, agreed and added that the rain is helping to set the soil up for spring.

"Cold wet windy conditions are still persisting over Wellington, Wairarapa, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne", commented MetService Weather Ambassador, Bob McDavitt. "Although they are not very intense, the prolonged nature of this chilly episode is a concern for the stress it puts on freshly shorn sheep and young lambs. The rain should ease to showers in Wellington later today, and further in the north on Thursday".

McDavitt attributes these grim conditions to a particular weather pattern called blocking. "High pressure regions are lingering in the region south of New Zealand, and blocking the normal path of lows across New Zealand. This week the low has been deflected into a path across Northland and that has been the cause of this stretched-out period of cold wet weather."

MetService forecasters do not see much in the way of sunshine for New Zealand in the next week or so. Most of the South Island may well be fine and frosty by Friday, but another low is likely to bring more wind and warm rain to western parts of the country this weekend.

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