Hi Dave – you know the saying ‘things come in threes’ – well the weather is very similar.  Quite often we’ll have a series of events that are similar to each, perhaps lasting a few weeks.  That’s because the highs and lows get into ‘ruts’ if you like – stuck in a holding pattern for a few weeks.  That means if you have the right ingredients for a cyclone then one may form…then another behind it…and another…until the window for cyclone development closes – perhaps because a big high rolls in.  Often when a cyclone forms – or any low north of NZ – there are a few others that start to spin and develop too within 1 to 10 days in a similar part of the region.

Our weather patterns can be changing daily, or stuck on a repeat cycle for days, weeks even months (months long events tend to be the ones that cause droughts, widespread floods etc).  The patterns are forever changing but do tend to follow a similar pattern most years, until El Nino or La Nina comes in to spice things up a bit!  But just like finger prints, no month or year is every exactly the same – that’s why this is a fun/stressful job!

– Phil