MetService News Release
Wednesday, 17 Sep 2014

Wintry showers and blustery winds for Election Day

As we head towards the weekend, it is time to look at what the weather will be for New Zealand's "Have Your Say" Day.

A rapidly deepening, complex low crossing the Tasman Sea should sweep across the country during Friday and early Saturday, bringing a significant cold outbreak across much of the country from Saturday into Sunday. Wintry showers are likely for many, with snow to low levels in the far south.

"This could be the first snow on election day for some in at least 30 years," commented MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr. "A similar weather pattern brought snow to areas south of Christchurch during the weekend of the July 1984 vote."

"The coming weather system looks likely to bring snow to low levels in the south on Saturday morning, spreading to the Canterbury foothills duringSaturday afternoon," Kerr went on to say.

Across the North Island, Saturday's weather will be showery for most, with the East Coast and Wellington likely to see more dry weather. However, strong or gale force winds will affect many during the day.

"Temperatures are expected to drop with the southerly, so it might pay to dig out those winter blankets and jerseys again," said Kerr.

Keep up to date with the latest forecasts and any watches/warnings atmetservice.com or on mobile devices at m.metservice.com. You can also follow our updates on MetService TV, @metservice on Twitter and at blog.metservice.com.

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