Local Weather with WAL: Friday 25th - Tuesday 29th August 2023
Staff Reporter
25 August 2023, 1:45 AM
Rainfall forecast map for 6am, Sunday 27th August 2023. GRAPHIC: MetService.Meteorological winter ends next week, as we start the inevitable seasonal progression into spring.
That means the task of lugging firewood up from the garage to the house to feed the beloved log burner may soon be just a memory...replaced by the seemingly endless weeks and months of lawn mowing and weeding as gardens come back to life with a vengeance.
However, after a chilly August this coming spring will likely be different to the last few years, as a cooler spring is symptomatic of a change to an El Niño weather pattern in New Zealand.
Skiers and snowboarders will certainly be praying for a nice long tail to the season after fairly light snowfalls earlier this winter.
So for the next few days, a southwesterly flow will predominate over New Zealand from Sunday to Tuesday.
A couple of weakening fronts will move northwards over the country on Sunday and Monday bringing rain to Westland, Southland and Otago, so Saturday will be the best day of the weekend.
MetService advises that there may be snow fall about some higher roads, especially on Sunday so make sure to stay up to date with the relevant forecasts.
Ōamaru forecast 25th - 29th August. GRAPHIC: MetService.
For coastal Waitaki, today (Friday 25th) is looking fine, with northeasterlies developing and cloud building later this evening.
Saturday could see fog or low cloud hanging about into the afternoon. Showers will develop later as the northeasterlies turn southerly.
On Sunday, it’ll be cloudy with occasional showers clearing at night. Southerlies will cool things down too, only reaching a high of 9 deg C and dropping to a chilly 1 C at night.
Monday will be fine to start, but cloud and showers may move in later in the day. Warmer northwesterlies will also change to fresh southwesterlies.
Tuesday’s forecast is for a partly cloudy day with northwesterlies.
Up the Waitaki valley in Omarama, today is looking great. Sunny conditions, light winds and a high of 14 deg C. Some high cloud may build later, dropping to a low of 0 C tonight.
Saturday will start off fine with light winds, but cloud will roll in from the afternoon with isolated showers arriving later.
Sunday will get colder with light winds and the possibility of occasional snow showers above 500 metres, dropping to an overnight low of -3 C.
Omarama forecast 25th - 29th August. GRAPHIC: MetService.
Monday is forecast to be partly cloudy, with isolated showers in the morning and evening and strengthening westerlies.
Tuesday should be fine, with the likelihood of sunny conditions and light winds. Enjoy the last official week of winter!
For the latest updated forecasts and real time conditions in your local area, click on the Waitaki towns below, or go to the Weather category, next to News|Sport in The Waitaki App!
