Today is the beginning of the Spring Equinox (exact time is 3:44am overnight tonight) and in true spring-like style strong winds are on the way…and they could boost temperatures well into the 20s.

Strong nor’westers are predicted from the North Island’s east coast right down to Otago and as they strengthen the air temperature is expected to rise.

“Places like Marlborough, Canterbury and Central Otago may well see temperatures in the mid 20s” says head weather analyst Philip Duncan.  “We may even see isolated areas making it into the late 20s as the dry winds pick up”.

Duncan says this sort of weather is normal for September and is a sign that winter is well truly behind us.  “While cold snaps are likely until the end of the year this is evidence that the winter weather patterns have now finished”.

With neither La Nina or El Nino weather patterns with us Mr Duncan says we’re now in a ‘netural’ period and he believes that means the prevailing westerly will take front row in our weather line up for the next month or two.  “This will bring frequent warm, dry and windy spells to the nation’s east coast and quite possibly cloudier and slightly cooler conditions to western areas”. 

“With plenty of high pressure over northern New Zealand the next 10 days also look quite sunny and dry from Central Plateau northwards”.

The northerly winds lifted temperatures yesterday into the lower 20s with some while wind speeds reached 135km/h at Castlepoint and over 100km/h in exposed coastal and hilly regions around Wellington.