Weather News – Waitangi Weekend split: Heat builds in the North, fronts bring rain to the South – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Thursday 5th – Monday 9th February
 
– North Island: Mostly fine and dry for the long weekend, with high temperatures for eastern areas

– South Island: More changeable, with rain at times as weak cold fronts move north

– Waitangi Day: Dry for most in the north, including Waitangi itself, with some morning cloud. Rain in parts of the south

It’s a split weather story as we head into Waitangi Weekend, with many North Islanders enjoying settled, summery weather, while the South Island sees more cloud and rain at times as weak cold fronts brush the country.

For the North Island, a weak ridge of high pressure persists through the long weekend, bringing plenty of fine spells. While western areas may see occasional cloud and the odd shower, eastern regions such as Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and Wairarapa are expected to stay mostly sunny, with temperatures climbing, and potentially nudging into the low 30s on Saturday and Sunday in Hawke’s Bay.

Waitangi is expected to be mainly fine for the big day, but there may be some patchy cloud through the day and the chance of a shower before dawn.

MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden says the contrast between the islands will be noticeable.

“It’s a tale of two islands this Waitangi Weekend. The North Island is shaping up well, with just the odd shower for western areas and high temperatures in the east, while the South Island will be more variable as several weather systems move north, bringing periods of rain.”

The South Island has a bit more weather to contend with. A cold front approaches the south late Thursday, then tracks north on Friday, gradually weakening but still delivering periods of rain for many areas south of Ashburton at the start of the long weekend. Another weak front follows late Saturday, keeping conditions unsettled at times, especially for Fiordland and Southland, where daytime temperatures are likely to stay in the teens.

For the northeastern South Island, there will be more dry breaks, but a passing shower remains possible, so keeping an umbrella handy is a good idea.

Overall, it’s a weekend of contrasts, so checking the local forecast before making outdoor plans is recommended. For the latest updates, head to metservice.com