Hi Pam, not sure what the wording was when you checked, but it currently says scattered thunderstorms. Thunderstorms and downpours have formed in Marlborough but not over Blenheim as of writing this – but you should be tracking on rain radar today due to this.

The lack of rain radar data from the NZ Government means all forecasters in NZ can’t fine tune these downpours into the forecast once they develop on the day (and track them automatically in real time via your forecast). We’re working hard and investing a lot with MetService to improve in this area, but New Zealand is behind other nations and it limits the accuracy specifically around afternoon downpours that suddenly form. It’s a big issue for a small company to take on but we’re doing our best.

The MetService thunderstorm outlook has a moderate risk today for Blenheim: https://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/maps-radars/lightning/thunderstorm-outlook in your area.

If you watch our week day weather videos you should be able to get better context about any “rain” that is in your local forecast – and if you use the other tools on our site (thunderstorm outlooks, rain radar, chance of rain etc) it should also help you plan better and have fewer surprises/frustrations.

Kind regards,
– WW

Hi Jet, Darwin can have thunderstorms with any wind direction due to it being in the tropics. But there is a wet season (now to April) when thunderstorms are most likely, and a dry season from then until the start of November when thunderstorms are less likely.
– WW

It usually refers to a funnel like shape in the airflow north of NZ, focusing southwards into one narrow point that gets heavy rain as it comes into NZ. The term is overused in our view, but it’s something Niwa/Earth Sciences use with frequency to describe slow moving rain fed by sub-tropical air. “River” potentially implies widespread water, but often they can be patchy with narrow areas that have the heavy rain issues. Our video today talks a bit about it and the upper end and lower end potential of it all.
– PD