Source: Radio New Zealand
MetService said it had “moderate confidence” a heavy rain warning will be needed for the ranges of central and northern Westland. Julia Sudnitskaya / 123RF
A calm start to the Easter break will be followed by potential heavy rain to parts of the country, forecasters say.
“It’s a little bit windy at the moment but that southwesterly is starting to ease and then we get to bask in the calmness of high pressure for the next couple of days before the high moves to the east on Friday,” Heather Keats, MetService head of weather news, said.
“There will be a couple of little features leading up to the weekend with the next series of fronts approaching the South Island on Friday. Those fronts move over the island on Saturday.”
That will allow a “northwesterly flow over southern and central New Zealand to strengthen ahead of a series of fronts approaching from the northwest”, MetService said in its severe weather outlook update.
“There is low confidence of rainfall accumulations reaching warning amounts during the second half of the day in the ranges of Westland, also also for southern Fiordland.”
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In the lead-up to the long weekend, Wednesday will see isolated showers nationwide, but otherwise “quite settled” weather.
“Thursday, which this week is the new Friday, is even better with the only real showers likely for Fiordland and for Stewart Island,” Keats said.
“On Friday … the North Island is still fairly decent, but those showers develop in the west of the South Island early in the day and will turn to rain later in the day.
“And on Saturday, those fronts will dish up heavy rain to both western and eastern parts of the south. Could be some watches and warnings for the start of Easter.”
The forecast for Sunday, 5 April. MetService
MetService said it had “moderate confidence” a heavy rain warning will be needed for the ranges of central and northern Westland, and low confidence for southern Westland and Fiordland before noon.
“There is also low confidence of heavy rain for central and southern Canterbury, eastern Otago and northern parts of Central Otago.”
On Sunday, the bad weather will move slowly north across the South Island.
“There is low confidence of warning amounts of heavy rain during the first half of the day for the ranges of central and northern Westland, and for all of Canterbury. There is also low confidence of heavy rain for northwest Tasman and Buller, but this continues all day.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
