For Labour weekend, MetService is forecasting warm, humid conditions for most of the country, albeit with some wet weather in the mix.

A persistent draw of warm air from the subtropics raises the overall temperatures of the country over the coming days. This warmth is enhanced over the eastern South Island by the foehn wind effect, making Canterbury Plains and Christchurch the hot spots of the weekend.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane explains, “Winds blowing from the northwest over the Southern Alps warm up as they descend towards the east. By the time they reach the coast, we start seeing those high temperatures.” Timaru looks set to reach 28°C by Sunday, and Ashburton and Christchurch both touch 27°C.

Things look a little different for the North Island, however, with plenty of cloud about. “Those with outdoor plans will be happy to know the afternoons look to be brighter with sunny spells coming through, however some spots could see a passing shower or two,” Makgabutlane detailed.

The warm subtropical airmass serves to keep temperatures balmy over the North Island throughout the long weekend, with Napier and Hastings hovering around 26°C on Sunday and Whanganui going up to 23°C.

While it’s sunny in the eastern part of the South Island, the next front steadily approaches, bringing a turn of wet weather for the western side Saturday into Sunday. Some places could even get heavier falls into Monday.

The remainder of the South Island remains in summer mode until Monday, when a cooler airmass moves across. This brings a sharp drop in daytime temperatures, with some areas seeing a fall by 10 to 15°C. “It certainly will be a noticeable change,” Makgabutlane added, with Timaru back to a wintery 13°C.

“The long weekend weather brings something for everyone. As always, keep up with the latest forecasts before heading out to enjoy the weather,” Makgabutlane concluded.

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