Newstalk ZB
Auckland is in for its first cold snap of the year with single-digit temperatures forecast for the next week, making the city feel its chilliest since early spring. The City of Sails is in for temperatures as low as 7C, with temperatures under 10C expected to stick around for eight consecutive days. A MetService meteorologist told the Herald cool air is being pushed over the region. “There’s a high-pressure system alongside clear, mostly cloudless days trapping colder air in, causing the temperatures to drop. “It means it’ll be the coldest the city has felt since September last year.” The forecast daily maximum for Auckland was 18C and the minimum was 7C, with fine skies predicted for the rest of the week and into the start of the next one. MetService said with winter three weeks away such conditions weren’t out of the norm, but there would be a “big difference” between day and night temperatures. “There will be warmer temperatures around 17C and 18C in the afternoon, which will make it feel warmer during the day. “As soon as that sun sets, it’ll feel pretty cold. There’ll be a big difference between night and day.” It’s not just Auckland bracing for chillier weather. MetService said some parts of the country would struggle to see double digits at all this coming week, with Alexandra and Twizel’s maximum forecast 9C for the weekend. Frost was expected in areas such as Central Otago, the Southern Lakes district, Southland, Taihape and Taumarunui. MetService rain radar shows little to no rain for most of the country from Wednesday. Photo / MetService Earth Sciences meteorologists have predicted an earlier-than-usual El Nino weather pattern to bring “quite striking” drier and cooler conditions heading into winter. According to a seasonal climate outlook from Earth Sciences (formerly Niwa), the long-term average temperatures across New Zealand are expected to be below average. Principal meteorologist Chris Brandolino told the Herald the cooler-than-average dry spells were “quite striking” and will replace humid and wet La Nina systems. “A rapid transition from La Nina to El Nino ... is on its way, which has an unusual whiplash effect when it goes from one driver to the next.” He said La Nina and El Nino acted as “climate drivers” of the overall theme of weather, with the former tending to produce warmer, humid days and the latter cooler winds that tended to drive drier, colder weather. It follows a weekend of heavy downpours in the south where six people were rescued after becoming trapped in floodwaters in Marlborough. Flood debris and road damage caused the closure of State Highway 6 near Havelock on Friday night, while SH60 near Tākaka also closed because of flooding.
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