Weather Forecast for Christchurch

Was this a major event in New Zealand? Sorry I live in the South Island and it was lovely, sunny and warm today. I hope this cyclone hitting 'New Zealand' wasn't too bad. Metservice indicated some rain and strong winds for the upper North Island but not a cyclone hitting New Zealand. Did they in fact get it right and there was no need for panic updates for a bit more rain and wind in Auckland than normal?

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- WW

Absolutely right, and you don't get the media hype as well.

Hi there, thanks so much for your kind support :) 

Cheers
WW

Hi there,
It's hard to know how ferries will operate tomorrow, we imagine there will be some cancellations but every service is different and has their own operating standards. Latest wind map shows a higher risk for gales in the morning (each update is changing though, due to the close proximity of the centre of the low tomorrow). Sorry we can't be of more help!

Cheers
WW

Tomorrow morning:

(Gale force is around 34 knots / in red)

By the time it gets to NZ Hola will loose it's tropical cyclone status so will drop below cat 1 although that is more a technicality, it will still retain winds equal to a cat 1 for some offshore islands etc.

WW

180 km/h might be pushing it, that sounds more like a theoretical upper limit, so it's not to say winds couldn't happen up to that speed but really upper limit stuff. But gusts of only 93 km/h may be under baking it for offshore eastern parts of the upper North Island like Great Barrier Island etc. Gusts upwards of 140 to 150 km/h would be our pick and have a fair chance of happening.

WW

here! here!! great work yet again guys!

Hi there

Monday looks definitely set to get some heavy rain and gale force winds. Tuesday is drier with sunny spells, winds strong from the southwest at first then easing from afternoon.

Wednesday and Thursday look relatively calmer, a mix of sun and cloud with southerly qaurter winds. A shower or two possible later on Thursday then on Friday afternoon southeasterlies freshen bringing some rain.

Hope that helps! :)

Cheers
Aaron

Hi there

Can't at the moment unfortunately, cost / other issues involved. Hopefully in the future though!

Thanks for writing in :)

WW

if you're coming from temps above 30c you might need a light sweater !

It's early to mid-March champ, the question isn't how many layers, but more whether or not to even bring a top layer. Temps still in the mid-20's

Layers of jumpers?

I'd just take one jersey incase there might be a cold'ish day or two I guess? :D Enjoy your holiday!

Aaron

Hi there, the low was in the forecast last week for northern NZ but was expected to form just east of Northland, instead it formed just west - a small change to the models but has a significant impact on our weather. There's no forecaster on earth that is 100% accurate, the highs and lows are moving and changing shape daily and we do our best to be as accurate as possible about their placement. The high is here and is large and covers parts of NZ but basically this low has given the high pressure "a puncture" which is why the forecast has changed. It's a sign that Autumn is moving in too. The Chatham Islands is under this ridge of high pressure until Monday but not the mainland, we're now just a tiny bit too far west. 

Cheers

WW

G'day there

Latest update is picking showers to develop in the morning, there should be some dry spells at times during the day but showers now and then also. Winds from the north.

Apologies it isn't exactly what you are after.

Cheers
Aaron

For the most part it looks mainly dry, the shower risk is fairly minimal, just a low risk for a time early afternoon is what I'm currently seeing.

Being 5 days out this could change up a little but I can't see much drastically changing between now and then but we'll see. Keep an eye on our Wellington forecasts for updates each morning :)

Cheers
Aaron

Hi there

Looks like morning sunny areas then cloud increasing and isolated showers developing in the afternoon, possibly heavy then clearing in the evening. Being isolated means you may see showers you may not but the risk period will be mid afternoon through till early evening. :)

Cheers
Aaron

Phil put in plenty of hours with Gita so thankyou very much for your kind words, is much appreciated! Glad the percentage chance of rain worked out well for you :)

WW

H there, it's too far out to lock in sorry, we only go 10 days out for specific forecasting.
Cheers
WW

Hi there

Currently the best we have is if you go here: http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/maps

Then choose the type of map you want to look at be it rain, wind etc. Then use the zoom fucntion to zoom in closer to where you want to look at and there you go.

Hope that helps.

Cheers
Aaron

Key word being "chance" of torrential falls, "chance".

Strongest winds weren't meant to hit Chch, they will be out on Banks Peninsula.

Thanks for the comment re Phil, he's much appreciative :)

Aaron

Yes Christchurch missed the worst of the torrential rain (it fell just up the road in Kaikoura instead), very very hard to precisely forecast a low that is splitting apart and reforming while going over a mountain range! Tried to do the best we could. Thanks for the kind words - our data showed the 'split' happening a number of days ago. Quite fascinating watching it happening. The winds may still ramp up on Wednesday AM, but hopefully nothing too extreme.

Cheers
WW

You should be fine :)

WW

A bit too far out to lock in sorry, but a glance at the extra long range maps shows the first week of March may be ok. The second week may turn sub-tropical.

Cheers and all the best! 
WW

Hey there - yes you are! It's passing over you now. Because the cyclone is now 'extra-tropical' the rain has shifted to the southern side so you should find conditions ease for you.  Strong winds are nearby - out in the Strait - but for now the upper South Island may be entering a calmer, drier, phase. 

All the best

WW