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Kevin Stent / Stuff
Some wild and windy weather is forecast for Wellington on Friday. (File photo)
It’s a stormy start to the weekend with Wellington ready to withstand the brunt of the gales hitting the country.
After a layer of snow fell on the South Island overnight, a strong weather warning was issued for the Wellington and Wairarapa regions on Friday.
Throughout the day on Friday, MetService warns that northwestern gales could intensify at times in exposed locations, with gusts forecast of up to 120km / h.
There is also a strong wind warning for Canterbury High Country north of the Rakaia River, with possible gusts of 120km / h also forecast for Friday.
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The forecaster has a strong wind watch for the Tararua district through Friday night, indicating that westerly winds can approach severe storms at times.
While there is also a wind watch for the Canterbury Plains north of Darfield until late afternoon.
The gusty weather is due to a weakened front moving northeast over the country on Friday, bringing strong northwest winds to central parts of the country.
Supplied
Snow fell on Gorge Hill between Te Anau and Mossburn on Friday morning.
The colder air mass saw temperatures plummet over the South Island, and parts of Fiordland and Southland saw splashes of snow Thursday night and Friday morning. Snow had fallen 200 meters in some areas, affecting roads.
Residents of Naseby, in downtown Otago, said it was snowing around 10 a.m. and getting heavier.
Places at higher altitudes can still receive a new layer of dust in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Despite the cool temperatures in the south, most of Aotearoa is expected to be fine on Saturday, although some rains will persist in the western regions through Sunday.
In the main centers, Auckland residents can expect a mostly pleasant day on Friday, with some clouds in the afternoon. A maximum of 22 degrees Celsius is forecast. Both Saturday and Sunday also look pretty good in the city of sails, with some cloudy periods throughout the days and winds from the southwest. A maximum of 19 ° C is forecast on both days.
In Wellington, northwestern gales could reach up to 120km / h in exposed locations, but are expected to subside on Friday evening. On Saturday, the cloud should clear and become a mostly pleasant day with easing winds and a high forecast of 18 ° C. Sunday will be a good day for the capital with a high forecast of 15 ° C and a low of 10 ° C. .
Hamilton should see highs of 21 ° C on Friday with possible rain in the late afternoon or early evening. Overcast periods and southwest winds are expected on Saturday, with highs of 19 ° C. On Sunday you will see morning clouds, then good.
In Christchurch, the rains are expected to clear on Friday afternoon with a forecast high of 21 ° C and a low of 9 ° C. The cloud will clear on Saturday on a fairly good day with a high of 21 ° C Sunday is expected to be fine with a high of 20 ° C, and some strong southerly winds are forecast on the Banks Peninsula.
Those in Dunedin can expect some showers throughout the day on Friday with south-west winds developing and a high of 16 ° C. On Saturday, cloudy periods and strong south-west winds are in play, with a high of 17 ° C. Sunday, however, will be a sunny day with a maximum temperature of 16 ° C.
