The classic nor’wester has brought some strange weather to the South Island over the past 24 hours, according to South Island Weather Analyst Richard Green.

The nor’wester, ahead of a cold front that’s dumped heavy rain across the West Coast, is responsible for a number of bizarre temperatures right over the Island.  “Christchurch had a balmy night with a NorWester banging away and gusting up to 80 kph at times. The low was a very mild 15 dregees up till 4am and has dipped to only 14 this hour”

Green says further south Timaru only made it to 8 degrees yesterday and yet 70 kilometres either side it was 16 and 18 degrees at Ashburton and Oamaru.  “This was quite unusual but due to the fact Timaru sat under the thick north west arch cloud “.
 

And the odd temperatures aren’t just confined to Canterbury.  Behind the current front is a distinctive area of clear skies before the next front arrives, allowing temperatures in Southland to currently drop to 2 to 4 degrees and again either side of Southland temperatures are much higher.  Its currently 11 degrees on Stewart Island and 15 degrees in Westport.