Winter Ready to Tighten Grip for Shortest Day

Issued at 12:51pm 18-Jun-2007
Winter Getting Ready to Tighten its Grip for Shortest Day

MetService meteorologists are forecasting another cold wintry blast late this week after a brief period of warming sunshine on Tuesday.

"Winter will be tightening its grip later this week," commented the MetService Weather Ambassador, Bob McDavitt. "Northern and eastern areas of the North Island will have a sunny day on Tuesday followed by a period of rain on Wednesday and Thursday. The heaviest rain is likely to be in the eastern Bay of Plenty and Gisborne area on Thursday morning."

"A very cold and squally southwesterly wind flow is forecast to move from the polar ice-shelf onto the South Island on Thursday bringing snow to the mountains and maybe to some low levels in parts of Southland and Otago. This polar air will also be blowing over the North Island on Friday and Saturday making wind chill levels drop to below freezing."

Mr. McDavitt added that Friday is officially the shortest day this year, with day length down to 8 hours 35 minutes in Invercargill, 9 hours 2 minutes in Wellington and to 9 hours 38 minutes in Auckland. "There is still a day or so for farmers to brace for the wintry outburst that will be accompanying the lead-up to this year's shortest day."

ENDS

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