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Air from the subtropics will keep temperatures warm across much of the country through the work weekend, particularly in the east, but a sharp cooling is forecast for southern areas on Monday.
Christchurch is forecast to hit 28 degrees Celsius on Sunday, with sunshine and north winds, but will peak at just 17 degrees Celsius on Monday with a shift south. Timaru is expected to go from a high of 27 ° C on Sunday to just 12 ° C on Monday.
MetService forecasts a 14 ° C difference for Dunedin between Sunday and Monday highs, going from 25 ° C to 11 ° C on Monday with early rain and then rain.
Iain McGregor / Stuff
Canterbury is expected to be the warmest region in the country this long weekend, with Christchurch forecast to hit 28 ° C on Sunday, before a heavy investment on Monday dips the high to just 17 ° C.
The south doesn’t reach the lower North Island until Monday night and has less of an impact.
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Wellington is predicted to have highs of just 17 ° C for each day of the long weekend, with afternoon drizzle on Saturday, then a mostly dry day on Sunday with strengthening north winds.
On Monday the capital is expected to see strong winds from the north and possibly some showers, then rain at night when the shift to the south occurs. On Tuesday, the highs fall between 2 ° C and 15 ° C and rainy periods are expected.
Auckland residents seem to have a good chance that all three days will be mild and mostly dry. The forecast has daily highs of 21 ° C or 22 ° C, with northeasterly winds skirting the north winds, before reducing to light winds on Monday, when some afternoon showers are possible.
Humidity levels will rise across much of the country, while a persistent draw of warm air from the subtropics raises temperatures across the country, MetService said.
The heat would be reinforced in the east of the South Island by the effect of the foehn wind, making Canterbury Plains and Christchurch the hot spots of the weekend.
“The winds that blow from the northwest over the Southern Alps heat up as they descend towards the east. When they come ashore, we start to see those high temperatures, ”said MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane.
The warm subtropical air mass serves to keep temperatures warm on the North Island over the long weekend, with Napier and Hastings hovering around 26 ° C on Sunday and Whanganui rising to 23 ° C.
Brett Atkinson / Stuff
Auckland appears to be underway for three mild days, with only a slight chance of showers on Monday.
Most of the rain over the long weekend is expected on the west coast of the South Island, with a front approaching from the southwest bringing rain Saturday through Sunday and with the possibility of even stronger falls on Monday.
The central parts of the North Island from Waikato to Hawke’s Bay have the possibility of heavy rain on Saturday, with thunderstorms possible in Taupō, Taihape, inland from Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne in the afternoon and evening.
Farmers could get any rain in northern Otago and southern and central Canterbury, and Niwa’s data shows that soils in those areas are much drier than usual for the time of year.
According to the Niwa Drought Index, some coastal areas in that part of the country are already classified as dry. On the North Island, a narrow dry band emerges in the Eastern Cape area.
Soils in Wairarapa are considerably drier than normal, and also in Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Gisborne. There’s not much chance of rain in those areas over the long weekend, and Friday afternoon and evening seem to be the best hope for Auckland’s farmers and extensive water supply.
