Covering period of Thursday 15th - Monday 19th May

• Cloud and showers in the west, sunny in the east to end the work week
• Heavy rain and strong winds expected to move up the country over the weekend
• Yellow Heavy Rain Watches in place (from Saturday) for:
  • The Ranges of Tasman northwest of Motueka
  • Buller
  • Ranges of the Grey District
  • Headwaters of the Canterbury Lakes and Rivers
  • Headwaters of the Otago Lakes and Rivers
  • Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound
• Yellow Strong Wind Watch in place (from Saturday) for: Canterbury High Country
• Slightly warmer overnight temperatures throughout

The weather will be quite different depending on where you are in the country over the next couple of days. The west, especially the South Island, will be mostly cloudy with showers, while the east will enjoy sunny and mostly clear skies thanks to a high-pressure system still hanging around.

Today (Thursday), a band of rain moves up the west coast of the South Island, making it a wet day there. Westerly winds will continue to bring moisture to western regions, so expect clouds and the chance of a shower in many western areas on Thursday and Friday.

As we head into the weekend, expect more rain and stronger winds. A low-pressure system will arrive in southern New Zealand on Saturday and then move north by Sunday. While the rain during the week might not be too serious, the weekend brings the potential for severe weather.

MetService Meteorologist Oscar Shiviti says, “Heavy rain is forecast for Saturday in the South Island, especially the west, where Heavy Rain Watches have been issued. A Strong Wind Watch also covers the blustery northwest winds over the Canterbury High Country. The wind and rain are forecast to decrease in severity before moving onto the North Island by Sunday”. Keep an eye on the MetService website (www.metservice.com) for updates.

There’s some good news though, nights will be less chilly due to a warmer airmass from the northwest, so we’ll get a break from those frosts we’ve had over the past few days.

If you’ve got outdoor plans, Thursday and Friday are your best bet, particularly in the eastern regions. Shiviti recommends, “Rethinking any weekend plans and taking advantage of the better weather the next couple of days before conditions worsen”.

That said, Napier is in luck, “Sunny skies are expected for the Hawke’s Bay Marathon this Saturday”, added Shiviti.

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