Here’s what is making the weather headlines today….

🎥💨Our high-res wind gust animation for the next 7 days.

We've slowed down the animation to make it clearer to see dates & times (NZ is 13 hours ahead of UTC, so just over half a day ahead of the time stamp).

🔴Gales
🟣Purple indicates damaging windshttps://t.co/gb7E1quzdb pic.twitter.com/wsrAxExY9Y

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 27, 2023

Fun Facts: El Niño + Spring = a more energetic spring.

Doesn't mean hot & dry – that's more likely in summer to the east & inland. Western NZ can be cloudier & wetter in spring.

El Niño is a Pacific-wide event measured at the equator. NZ is halfway between there & Antarctica. pic.twitter.com/f5oZq4pLUc

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 26, 2023

FROSTY MORNING IN THE SOUTH

Relatively clear skies and light winds means it is frosty to start this morning for the lower South Island, especially inland.

Meanwhile further north we have a chance of heavy rain about some eastern coastal parts but this eases during the day.

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THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY – NORTH ISLAND

Cold air combined with a trough moves over the North Island on Thursday from the Tasman Sea, northwesterly winds change southwest in the afternoon. Expect thunderstorms and isolated heavy falls with a risk of hail, easing in the evening.

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MSLP = Mean sea level pressure

CAPE = Convective available potential energy

RAIN OUTLOOK

Average to wetter than average conditions for most of New Zealand over the next seven days. South of Banks Peninsula through to Otago looks a touch drier than normal, also parts of Nelson / Marlborough.

The West Coat has wetter than average conditions, although that makes sense considering most of our weather will be coming in from the west.

The precipitation percentage of normal map below runs through to Wednesday 4th October. Blue coloring means that part of the country is likely to see more rainfall than would normally be expected at this time of year, red means less rainfall is expected and white is an average amount of rainfall. The more intense either red or blue then either scenario is more true.