A very large low continues to affect New Zealand with pockets of damaging weather but as WeatherWatch.co.nz emphasised on Friday, plenty of pockets of sun and calm too.

Heavy downpours, isolated thunderstorms and blustery winds can be expected in several regions over the weekend and early next week – but the size of the low means there are large areas of calm, dry and even sun.

By Sunday night or Monday morning a cold southerly flow will cover the entire country – bringing a much colder week next week to the nation and snow showers around the hills and ranges of the South Island.

As winds change direction following the low crossing, then clearing New Zealand, our mountains and ranges will create sunny and clearing weather for some regions – for example the West Coast on Sunday.

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(below from our Friday update)

6am Saturday RAIN map

Very heavy downpours across western and northern regions of the North Island, while a burst of heavy rain tracks southwards down the South Island’s east coast.

 

6pm Saturday RAIN map

An early burst of downpours for the lower North Island as southerlies start to move up the South Island.

 

6pm Sunday RAIN map

Another burst of rain and isolated heavy falls for the upper North Island.  The southerly flow clears showers over the West Coast.

 

6am Saturday – WIND map

Pockets of potentially damaging winds in purple around the western/north North Island, Cook Strait area and about Banks Peninsula and within the Southern Alps.

 

6pm Saturday – WIND map

The low off Canterbury’s coast pushes potentially damaging winds into Banks Peninsula and and coastal parts of Canterbury.

 

6pm Sunday – WIND map

Strong winds blow across the North Island

 

Tuesday – WIND map

This wind map shows a cold and windy southerly flow across New Zealand – with a large high to the west slowly moving in towards New Zealand, calming things down by Friday and the first weekend of June.

– Maps courtesy Weathermap.co.nz

– WeatherWatch.co.nz