A settled weekend is on the cards but not necessarily a dry and sunny Saturday predicts WeatherWatch.co.nz.
A wide high pressure system is moving in from the west and should intensify over the nation today – however a large storm in the Southern Ocean isn’t finished firing up weak fronts just yet with more shower activity moving up the South Island’s east coast today and then into Wellington.
Winds will be light but a southerly change is behind this morning’s weak cold front.
A few showers from yesterday afternoon’s front in the upper North Island may also linger first thing but should clear quickly today.
Tomorrow the high extends further over the nation at the same time as the deep low in the Southern Ocean tracks further east. It means Sunday will be a much sunnier, drier and warmer day right over New Zealand.
– WeatherWatch.co.nz
– Homepage image / Debbie Zillwood
Let us know what conditions are like where you are. Did you get heavy rain yesterday? Or thunder? Share your weather observations in the comments section below.
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Dave on 20/03/2011 12:09am
“right over but New-Zealand” must exclude Christchurch then. It has been raining and drizzling all day here.
Just like the previous posts such as “warm week ahead” (at the beginning of the week), or “indian summer”, “extended swimming season”… don’t seem to apply to Christchurch.
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WW Forecast Team on 20/03/2011 12:52am
Hi Dave – you’re quite right about today. Some low level cloud has stuck around longer than we thought, meaning you’re not getting the sunny day we suggested yesterday – apologies for the incorrect forecast. With regards to the other quotes, we’ve frequently mentioned that the "indian summer" was for the North Island and upper South Island (Nelson and Blenheim) and the extended swimming season was most certainly for the upper North Island only. Christchurch doesn’t have the best swimming season even in the hottest of summers due to the low sea surface temperatures in the city.
Looks like you have more drizzly, cool, weather on the way this week too.
– WeatherWatch Weekends
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Guest on 18/03/2011 11:39pm
We had about 11mm of rain yesterday in Kaukapakapa. No thunder sadly enough! But now it’s back to light winds and plenty of sunshine.
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Derek on 18/03/2011 10:48pm
Here in Whangarei we had some nice rain last evening but it did not last too long, could do with more but it was nice to have.
Today is back to beautiful sunshine, nice temperature and humidity, a great Autumn day.
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Guest on 18/03/2011 7:31pm
It bucketed down with rain yesterday afternoon. The spoutings couldn’t cope with all the water. There was some thunder. If I read the local weatherstation currectly, 61mm of rain fell. The local stream was as high as I have ever seen it.
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Rob on 18/03/2011 7:05pm
22mm of rain in Kaitaia yesterday so that will get the grass moving. Looking forward to more next week.
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