Here’s what is making the weather headlines today….

💨🥇#Wellington is the windiest city on earth. There are very few places in the world that have such extreme winds from both the north & south.

Wellington's in the Roaring Forties belt of windy weather. Cook Strait & the Southern Alps funnel air the way Huka Falls funnels water! pic.twitter.com/A27ijfSUbd

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 28, 2023

⚡️A few #thunderstorms around the upper North Island this afternoon, along with some heavy downpours.

Thunderstorm symbols 🌩️ may be showing up in your local forecast due to this risk – but they are isolated.

📡Track heaviest downpours now on rain radar: https://t.co/sZ6VGec556 pic.twitter.com/YvBzK0FTW2

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 28, 2023

UNSTABLE – NORTH ISLAND

Cold upper air moves over the North Island today, this heralds in a chance of thunderstorms and hail. Elsewhere around the country has a low risk also so it may pay to keep an eye out, the greatest chance is for the North Island though especially the upper half.

For more details please check out today’s thunderstorm outlook from Metservice here.

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FROSTY THIS MORNING, RAIN THIS EVENING – SOUTH ISLAND

About inland Canterbury and other inland parts of the South Island expect a cold start this morning, especially about the Main Divide. There will be a few clearing coastal showers this morning Banks Peninsula northwards in the east.

This afternoon a cold front moves into the far south bringing rain, reaching Canterbury later this afternoon or evening. Rain rates about Canterbury will step up a notch compared to when the front moves through further south.

There is a low risk of thunder on the front as it moves through Canterbury.

Overnight rain clears away to the north and moves into Wellington and Wairarapa, perhaps southern Hawkes Bay.

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UNSETTLED FRIDAY / SATURDAY

FRIDAY

A westerly airflow increases on Friday with showers for the western North Island, rain with heavy falls developing for the West Coast of the South Island and maybe there will be thunder especially in the evening. Southland and Otago pick up on showers or some rain meanwhile conditions are dry and warmer further north in the east.

SATURDAY

A very strong cold south to southwesterly airflow spreads northwards with most regions looking to see rain or showers. Areas west of the eastern ranges for the North Island see heavy showers with a chance of thunderstorms, rain pushes up the eastern side also then easing to showers later on. Overnight it clears up for most.

Rain for the West Coast of the South Island clears from the south. Expect rain in the south and east, easing to showers in the afternoon, clearing evening although showers remain in the southwest overnight (Fiordland / Southland).

Strong winds will be a feature on Saturday along with the wet / cold conditions. Expect gales for many coastal parts especially for the south and east of the South Island in the morning, the same goes for the south and east of the North Island in the afternoon. The upper North Island also, Auckland and Northland in particular.

The air does get reasonably cold so snow in the ranges is likely, possibly as low as 400m for the southern and eastern South Island. Perhaps reaching 600 to 500m for the lower North Island later on Saturday. While snow may reach these levels this will tend to be the lowest points where there may only be a flurry and perhaps not much if anything accumulating. Naturally higher up snow accumulations will be more.

Today’s daily video presented by Philip Duncan will have more details.

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