Weather Forecast for Christchurch

HI there, your taxes fund both MetService and NIWA who don't do this. Our FREE service gives you a sliding scale of risk of rain. Simple as that. 

Cheers
WW

Yes both ends of the country are quite different right now. The good news is, you have a summer-like Sunday and Monday on the way. The bad news is...don't look at the rest of next week's forecast! 

- WW team

Hi there Ross, think of high pressure as like a mountain and low pressure as the valleys. The rain clouds in the sky - like rivers on land - go for the path of least resistance, which means going around the 'mountains of high pressure in the sky'. cyclones and lows avoid high pressure. Also, highs move slowly - the very nature of their size and high pressure means they 'mooch' along slowly while fast moving lows and fronts zip around the sides - weakening where they run into the sides of the high pressure. Hope that helps - but basically the higher the pressure the slower everything moves. it will be mainly dry for another week or two in Wellsford. Hopefully we can get some rain in February.

Cheers
Phil D

Hi there,

No a drought is when a region has had a significant lack of rain over a long period of time. It can rain during a drought and still be a drought. Parts of Australia have been in one for over three years and they just had some rain this week - but it doesn't come close to reversing why a drought is announced in the first place. For that to happen you need soaking rains that return things back to normal. Auckland had less than 1 to 2mm of rain last night.

Cheers

WW

Hi there, we wish we could free share this data with you but currently Niwa and MetService block us from doing so (See the Commerce Commission investigation just launched about this: www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2019/09/metservice-niwa-under-investigation-by-commerce-commission-for-anti-competitive-behaviour.html) 

In the meantime, you'll need to go directly to MetService or Niwa for this information.

Cheers

WW

H there Deano, unsure why this has happened. The majority of weather stations are privately owned and some come and go. We're lobbying the Government to free up tax funded weather observations too and are glad the Commerce Commission is now investigating this anticompetitive behaviour from both Niwa and MetService (www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2019/09/metservice-niwa-under-investigation-by-commerce-commission-for-anti-competitive-behaviour.html)

In the meantime, we're launching a new look site in February and this will give you the option to look at several local current weather obs - not just the one. Also, just checked on ITAURANG20 was showing up again - must be a glitch with their station. 

Cheers :)

Phil D

Hi there, yes it's a been a little average around Kapiti lately (although now leaning drier than normal). The next week ahead looks dry but until we can shake this light westerly flow you're unlikely to get super hot weather. Hopefully in Feb you'll get some easterlies or northerlies which would lift your temperatures by several to over 10 degrees :)

Cheers

WW

Hi there, we're hoping the second and third weeks of February may see better chances for rain as there may be a break in high pressure over northern NZ - but it's not locked in yet. The tropics north of NZ look to be more energised around then too. We'll have more details next week on February's outlook. There is moderate chance of a tropical cyclone forming (anywhere from the Coral Sea to American Samoa - which is a great distance) in the first 10 days of February based on current data we trust.

Cheers
Phil D

Hi Carolynne

You'll have to contact either Metservice or NIWA for that information. Good luck!

Cheers
Aaron

Hi there

A chance does exist, I'd say it's a lesser risk than yesterday morning and this morning but a chance still there. Fog isn't exactly a thing where I can say definitely yes or definitely no (in times like this) as such a small subtle change in wind direction can cause a dramatically different outcome. Just keep an eye keen eye on the weather first thing when you get up tomorrow and you'll know if it's foggy or not (obviously).

WW

Would like to, is looking quite dry for the east coast of the North Island (infact many parts of NZ) till early or perhaps even mid February.

WW

Yes indeed :)

WW

Low cloud has definitely hung around much longer than anticipated, usually it burns off a bit but not so much today. As to whether the low cloud was expected, it was definitely expected to be a cloudy morning but determining whether it will be fog or just above the ground for example can often be a mission for forecasters as such a little change can result in a very different outcome. Fog wasn't expected from yesterday's forecast no.

WW

Thanks heaps!! :) Nice to have fun where we can!

- WW

Hi here! Haha, thanks for the feedback - it's nice to have fun on a Friday and not have to always be focused on negative news :) It's also nice sometimes to not be so serious, for no reason at all!

Have a great weekend and thank you for your kind support :) 

- WW

Hi there, at this stage January is looking drier than average and as we forecast back in November, Northland was leaning drier than average for the entire summer most likely. There is some chance of wet weather creeping in late January and early February. We'll be updating in late January about the potential for drought - fingers crossed we get some rain soon.

Cheers
WW

Hi there, we expect Auckland to remain mostly drier than average for January. Our next climate update will be out in late January. Since winter we've said Auckland has been drier than normal and that a drier than normal summer was likely.

Cheers
WW

Good news, you have at least 10 days, maybe 14, of mainly dry to completely dry weather. While not especially hot the daytime highs will be about 10 degrees higher than they were around late December :) 

We don't expect a drought to form in Southland this summer with rain/showers likely to return again either very late Jan or in February at some point. Our next climate forecast update will be in late January and will cover Feb, and also Feb, Mar, Apr.

Cheers :)

WW