Severe Weather Brings A Suite Of Warnings For Both Islands
Forecast – MetService
Covering period of Wednesday 30th – Friday 2 May
Stormy conditions starting to impact New Zealand today will bring strong damaging winds, heavy rain and choppy seas over the next few days to various parts of the country. MetService has issued numerous Severe Weather Warnings and Watches.
Widespread rain is currently affecting many parts of the North Island, with some areas experiencing heavy downpours. These conditions are forecast to become more persistent and spread further across the island by this afternoon (Wednesday).
•A Orange Heavy Rain Warning is in place east of Bay of Plenty, from 10am today valid until 3pm tomorrow.
•Heavy Rain Watches have been issued for Bay of Plenty and Southern Wairarapa until Wednesday evening. Wellington is also on Watch from 6pm Wednesday until 3pm Friday.
•Strong to gale-force winds are expected along the Wairarapa and Wellington coastlines, generating rough seas and wave heights of up to 7 metres on Thursday afternoon and a Heavy Swell Warning has been issued.
•Strong Wind Watch for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, and north of Hamilton in Waikato, from 7am to noon Thursday.
Conditions in Wellington over the next day and a half will be something to keep a close eye on, as a combination of wet weather, very strong southerly winds, and large waves are expected.
The winds are of particular interest. While Wellingtonians are no strangers to blustery days, this event stands out due to the unusually strong southerlies, with gusts of 130 km/h possible. This means that trees and structures that may be accustomed to very strong winds from the north may be more vulnerable to strong winds from the south, making them more prone to damage. These winds will also be whipping up large waves, which may impact travel along coastal roads on Thursday.
South Island
•An Orange Heavy Rain Warning for the Kaikōura Coast and ranges plus areas of Canterbury north of Timaru, easing from 6pm Thursday.
•Orange Road Snowfall Warnings for Porters, Arthur's, Lewis and Lindis Pass are in force into Thursday.
•An Orange Heavy Snow Warning for Canterbury High Country, south of the Rangitata River, in place from 9pm tonight (Wednesday) through to 9am on Thursday.
•Yellow Strong Wind Watches for Buller, Grey, Westland, Nelson Lakes Districts (from noon today), and the Marlborough Sounds (from 6pm today through Thursday afternoon).
The South Island is currently experiencing cloudy and wet conditions, with more rain forecast through to Thursday. For the eastern South Island, this could be a significant weather event, with large amounts of rainfall expected between today and Friday. For regions under Orange Heavy Rain Warnings, possible impacts include areas of flooding, slips, and hazardous driving conditions.
MetService meteorologist Kgolofelo Dube says, With the hazardous weather conditions approaching, we strongly encourage all New Zealanders to stay informed by regularly checking the MetService app or website, as well as updates from local Civil Defence and council channels.'
Friday looks to be a better day, with rain easing in most areas across the country. However, eastern parts of the North Island and the north-eastern South Island may still experience heavy rain and strong winds.
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