For over a week now thunderstorms and squalls have been rattling western and central parts of New Zealand and heavy snow has affected the lower South Island – and Thursday is no different as yet another surge of stormy weather heads north.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says it’s another “wave” of activity all associated with a very large storm in the Southern Ocean that, by the time it leaves, would have affected the country for almost two weeks.

Thunderstorms, hail and potentially damaging squalls will again rush up the west coast of the country with central areas (from Greymouth to Taranaki) most at risk from the the biggest thunderstorms.

Coastal Waikato is also a high risk zone according to WeatherWatch.co.nz

Auckland is at a moderate risk this afternoon along with Northland and Bay of Plenty.  This risk kicks in before the cold change which is due later this afternoon and evening.  It comes with the risk of hail, squalls and isolated thunderstorms, especially, but not limited to, coastal areas.

Meanwhile a snow warning is in place for Southland across Thursday with the government forecaster, Metservice, warning of snow down to 100metres as a southerly change sweeps in on the tail end of the storm. 

WeatherWatch.co.nz says this storm is proving to be very similar to the big one that hit the country in September 2010 which brought similar severe weather to almost the exact same group of regions, however unlike that storm last year damage is not so widespread and snowfall, at this stage, doesn’t look to be falling as low.

But there is one particularly similarity – eastern areas, such as Canterbury and Hawkes Bay, have again been mostly spared the worst weather.  However overnight Thursday and into early Friday a few light snow flurries are possible to near sea level across Canterbury as the cold southerly change moves in.

That cold change will spread over much of the country on Friday, knocking down temperatures by a few degrees and bringing more snow to Central Plateau.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says snow may be heavy enough to close the Desert Road during the afternoon or overnight into Friday.

Wellington will also be affected by the cold southerly change on Friday and Saturday with conditions easing on Sunday.

For those that are over the severe weather there is good news – severe weather conditions will ease in the north by the end of Friday and over the rest of the country during the weekend as a high moves in from the west pushing the rough weather east of New Zealand.

Next week is expected to start off dry and sunny thanks to a large high, but WeatherWatch.co.nz reports that several models are now picking a low to move into the country mid way through next week from the north.

We’ll have more details on this potential sub-tropical low this afternoon.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz