While high pressure reigned across New Zealand over the weekend, bringing plenty of sun, the beginning of this week sees a return to more active weather, particularly over the South Island.
MetService has issued a number of Severe Weather Warnings for heavy rain and severe gales from Monday through to early Wednesday associated with first a strong and moist northwesterly flow followed by a strong, cold southerly change.
Later in the week high pressure builds again, signalling a return to more settled weather.
Heavy Rain Warnings are in force for Fiordland and Westland and a Heavy Rain Watch for Buller comes into effect this evening.
The heavy rain is also expected to spill over the Southern Alps and affect the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers.
The next chapter of the active weather story comes courtesy of a deep low which is forecast to form to the east of the South Island on Tuesday.
This low is expected to direct a strong, cold southerly change up the country. Heavy Rain Warnings for Southland, Clutha, and Dunedin have been issued, along with Heavy Rain Watches for the remainder of Otago, and Canterbury.
A Strong Wind Watch for south to southwesterly winds is also in force for Dunedin, North Otago, and the Canterbury coast and plains, while Banks Peninsula is under a Strong Wind Warning and can expect gusts of up to 120 km per hour.
Heavy southwesterly swells brought on by the southwesterly winds are forecast to affect western coastlines right up to Northland, and eastern coasts of the South Island and lower North Island from Tuesday through until Wednesday.
Credit: sunlive.co.nz
