MetService News Release

Rain and a drop in temperature

Covering period of Tuesday 27 - Friday 30 September

As September draws to a close we haven’t seen the last of the winter weather. While the week starts warm for much of New Zealand, a southerly change arriving late on Thursday has MetService forecasting colder temperatures and even some snowfall to round out the month. 

While there is plenty of dry weather across the country at first, showers are forecast to build Tuesday afternoon across parts of Southland and Otago. During Wednesday, rain spreads into the west with some heavy falls expected for the Buller Ranges and the Kahurangi National Park where Severe Weather Forecasts are active.

MetService Meteorologist John Law says, “Spring is a time of changeable weather and this week is no exception. The past weekend’s  high pressure gives way to rain moving in from the west before colder air comes up from the south to end the week.”

One area that is going to really notice this change will be the east coast of the South Island. After a wet but warm day on Thursday a southerly change will bring a very different feeling day on Friday. 

“Temperatures could reach highs of 23°C in Christchurch on Thursday, however on Friday the temperature is likely to only reach about 11°C,” says Law. “Along with that colder air we could see some snowfall about the higher parts of Canterbury and even down to around 400 metres in parts of Southland and Otago.” 

Looking ahead to the weekend, it’s the South Island that will have the pick of the weather but a cool start to October. It’ll be a cloudier and wetter weekend across the North Island with a low pressure system approaching from the northwest.

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