ClimateWatch: DECEMBER & SUMMER outlook! (+15 Maps & extended Video)

(originally published Nov 30) — Put bluntly, November’s weather pattern continues on into December, but perhaps not quite as dramatic. We still see plenty of low pressure for December both north of NZ and south of NZ. The first half of the month looks changeable and unsettled – with brief high pressure calming things. It shouldn’t be as stormy as November was – but it may not be as settled as the past five December’s have been (which were mostly drier than average).

However, a thin sliver of high pressure should continue to hug southern Australia and this will also bring some protection into the NZ area as it tries to stretch eastwards over the Tasman Sea – but it may also help create more unsettled, windier, conditions. Not saying it will be stormy – but put it this way, the coming month or so is when a lot of people put up tents, awnings and umbrellas too!

Over the coming 3 months NZ should lean warmer than average by about 1 degree, and rainfall may be heavier than normal in parts of the North Island, and the upper and north eastern South Island also have the chance for some rain events.

No where in New Zealand, as of December 1st, is facing drought any time soon.

Southland, Otago and Fiordland may lean drier than usual for them this summer – whilst Northland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and East Cape look to have the highest risks of being wetter than normal.

“As La Nina fades away in the coming weeks NZ will have a more chaotic, neutral, weather pattern setting in” says WeatherWatch.co.nz head forecaster Philip Duncan. “That may bring us some high pressure zones later into summer, but it may also encourage frequent south to south west changes that drop temperatures for a time and bring a little bit of windy weather. We’re also seeing a few tropical lows trying to head southwards towards NZ – so that slither of regular high pressure around southern Australia in December may be key to guiding a lot of NZ’s rainmakers too” says Philip Duncan.

*The ClimateWatch update is not a specific forecast for your place – it’s more about the big picture going on across your part of NZ and also across our corner of the world. Best way to approach the maps is to look at NZ in 4 sections: Upper & Lower North Island and Upper and Lower South Island.

AIR PRESSURE FOR DECEMBER
Where the highs & lows lie…