WeatherWatch.co.nz says an early spring has arrived in New Zealand and while cold snaps are still expected over the coming weeks the general trend is for more weather systems coming in from our west.

In late July head weather analyst Philip Duncan predicted the first half of August would be wet and mild despite being during the coldest point of the year.  The second half of August was predicted back then to be more average temperature-wise for August with more westerlies and less significant rain events. That forecast remains unchanged.

A cold southerly will move up the southern and eastern coastlines of both islands on Tuesday, knocking highs back to single digits for some in the south, however Mr Duncan says the days of “prolonged cold events” are simply running out.  “We have well over an hour more sunlight than we did six weeks ago and the days are very quickly getting longer.  Also, long range models show a lot more winds from the westerly quarter – warm nor’westers then cold sou’westers, the classic calling card of spring”.

Mr Duncan says many parts of New Zealand enjoyed a “typically spring like” weekend.  “We had big thunderstorms for some then very warm, sunny, weather too.  While more wet weather will spread into southern and eastern areas on Tuesday the general trend over the coming weeks will see drier weather in the east and more cloud and rain in the west”.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the low that crossed over the nation on Sunday and Monday should be the last of the big Tasman Sea lows that have been hitting New Zealand solidly for a month now.  Models indicate we may have a break from them over the next week or two but more rain bands are expected out of the Southern Ocean instead, in a south west flow.

“Some people think spring means warm weather but really the first half of spring is defined by strong hints of summer contrasted by regular reminders of winter”.

In New Zealand spring officially starts on Sept 1 although some don’t observe it until the equniox around Sept 21.  Mr Duncan says, for the most part, spring weather often arrives across New Zealand in August.

– Homepage image / Spring, Laura Jerome

– WeatherWatch.co.nz