> From the WeatherWatch archives
Christmas Day is likely to be hot, cold, windy, wet and dry – depending on where you live in New Zealand. An intense high over Tasmania will spread eastwards to affect northern New Zealand, while a huge storm in the Southern Ocean will unleash the outer bands of its fury over southern regions.
“As I said earlier in the week the conditions on Christmas Day will be changeable as we say goodbye to one high and say hello to another. In between these highs a storm in the Southern Ocean will flick a weak front and some strong winds across some regions” says head weather analyst Philip Duncan.
Duncan predicts Aucklanders will have plenty of cloud about with “the risk of a shower”. “At this stage it’s looking mainly dry and mild but there is a possibility for an isolated shower…nothing to be too concerned about at this stage”.
Further south and Wellingtonians will have some strong wind about, possibly gusting to gale force. “It’s all about the timing. We’re expecting strong winds early next week, so fingers crossed they arrive early and die out quickly”.
It’s a similar story in Christchurch where warm north or north west winds could see temperatures in the high 20’s. “The down side is that could be quite gusty”.
And in Dunedin and Invercargill it’s looking showery and very windy. “Invercargill’s high on Christmas Day is currently only 13 degrees”.
Popular holiday spots such as the Bay of Islands, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty are looking mainly dry, sunny and warm. While South Island holiday spots like Wanaka and Queenstown could be quite cloudy, but warm, with gusty westerlies.
“It’s important to note that due to the weather in a very changeable pattern at the moment the forecast could change over the next few days” says Duncan. “That’s why TRN’s Weather Watch Centre will issue an updated Christmas forecast in the next couple of days”.
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