WeatherWatch.co.nz has added yet more centres to our forecast page – with plans this year to expand even further.

Over the weekend we added raw computer generated forecasts from the Weathermap.co.nz team – and this means Central Otago, Wairarapa, Marlborough and Coromandel Peninsula are finally covered.  Aucklanders travelling to Coromandel Peninsula will now have forecast guidance for Whangamata, those in Masterton no longer have to look at Palmerston North and Marlborough has finally been included.  We’ve also included Central Otago – with Alexandra forecasts – to give some extra assistance to growers and farmers especially.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says it’s the first step in many to expand forecasts over 2015.  “We’re a small weather company up against two giant government forecasters who receive multi-miillions in tax funding, so it’s much harder for us to expand – but the public are demanding it from us, so we are doing what we can to up our game in more centres and more regions”.

Mr Duncan says while these forecasts are not written by the WeatherWatch.co.nz forecast team it does mean people can find more of what they want from one source.

Already this month WeatherWatch.co.nz has added Beach forecasts – an entirely free service for the New Zealand public covering weather conditions at their favourite beach, including tide times and heights.

WeatherWatch.co.nz forecasters currently write extra detailed forecasts for Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin – the new forecasts we’ve added this weekend are computer generated but in time may have far more detail included. 

For us to manually write forecasts cost us about $500 per month, per centre. If we can find local finding from big business we find that the best solution for the community and our small company.

This year we are expoloring the possibility of turning those detailed 7 main centre forecasts into regional ones – which cover all other main towns within that same region.  Hamilton, for example, would become Waikato – and cover other towns within that region.  This would be merging the forecasts we currently make public at no charge, along with some other rural products we currently sell to clients only.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz