Westerly quarter winds will dominate New Zealand for the rest of the month – but we do have at least three influential low pressure systems. WeatherWatch.co.nz says an uptick in high pressure north of NZ and over eastern Australia will help push westerly quarter winds over New Zealand, somtimes mild nor’westers or westerlies, other times colder sou’westers.

The main westerly flow kicks in from this weekend until the end of the month – but we do have three lows mixed in. While westerlies are the main theme nationwide, some spots will locally have varying directions.

Low number 1 is on Friday and means winds will be variable from all 360 degrees as the low crosses over the South Island on Friday night/Saturday morning. From Saturday/this weekend onwards the westerly flow kicks in and doesn’t really look set to budge for the remainder of the month.

The biggest change in this flow looks to be around next Tuesday and Wednesday when another low (Low number 2) in the Southern Ocean works with the high over Tasmania to help dredge up a colder south to south west change nationwide – although many places should still have that westerly lean in to it.

We see more westerlies later next week and for the final weekend of October – although that final weekend (Yes, Labour Weekend) may be unsettled with windy westerlies, western rain and showers and snow on the Southern Alps as a storm (Low number 3) in the Southern Ocean churns by well to our south – but alters our entire weather.

Clearly Labour Weekend isn’t yet locked in as it is too far our to be precise – but this is the first outlook and it does show a sizeable storm in the Southern Ocean brushing NZ with a surge of gale force westerly quarter winds over land and a burst of rain. Labour Weekend is often a messy weekend with one half sunny and the other half often unsettled.

In the coming week we’ll bring you updates on:

1. The colder change and what this means snow and temperature-wise mid next week (to make sense of what this means for you locally, simply go to www.RuralWeather.co.nz – your most detailed local weather data website)
2. Labour Weekend and any potential for severe weather for holidaymakers and travellers.

THIS SUNDAY:

NEXT WEDNESDAY:

NEXT SATURDAY (LABOUR WEEKEND)

– WeatherWatch.co.nz