Weather News – MetService Winter comes knocking after a wet weekend

•    A soggy start gives way to crisp, clear conditions across most of Aotearoa.
•    Cold southerlies sweep in behind the weekends rain, dropping temperatures into the low single digits.
•    Frosts are expected for many from Tuesday, particularly in inland areas.
•    Settled weather dominates the week under a strengthening ridge of high pressure.

After a wet and windy weekend, MetService is forecasting a shift into a more settled pattern, but it comes with a cold bite. A ridge of high pressure builds in from the west on Monday, pushing away rain and leaving behind cool, clear conditions and some chilly southerlies.

Those southerlies will bring a real taste of winter, with temperatures dropping in their wake. Overnight lows through the week are expected to fall well into single digits for most and even into the negatives for some. Inland areas about Canterbury, Otago, Wairarapa, The Central Plateau and Waikato can expect icy mornings for much of the week.
 
The west and south coasts of the South Island may hang onto a bit more cloud through the week, and some coastal parts of the eastern North Island, like Gisborne and Napier, will see a few showers persist into Monday night and Tuesday morning before clearing.

“While sunshine may be a nice change for some after the weekend’s rain, clear skies and long nights this time of year let the day’s warmth escape, setting the stage for some chilly starts,” says MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden. “It’s classic settled autumn weather, blue skies by day, frosts by night.”

Later in the week, Fiordland and coastal Southland will be the first to see signs of a change as a weak front brushes by, but for most, the dry, cold pattern continues through Friday.

With the early-week rain set to quickly be swept away, and only two weeks of autumn left, winter is truly knocking on our door, cold, crisp, and calm.

Stay up to date with the latest forecasts at metservice.com.