Cold Outbreak with increasing snow and severe weather chances later this week:
A low pressure system is forecast to form in the Tasman Sea will begin to impact weather across the Motu from Thursday, with modelling suggesting a long period with possible severe weather risks in the form of heavy rain, strong winds and heavy snow for higher elevations.
Heavy Rain: The heaviest rain is expected to fall in Western and Northern Regions from Thursday, with periods of heavy rain possible for an extended period of time, potentially through early next week, though there is uncertainty.
Snow: The best snow chances are likely to be on Friday over the South Island, there remains considerable uncertainty but a snow event is now possible for Inland areas above 500-600m - keep a close eye on details closer to the time.
Strong Winds: Strong and gusty westerly quarter winds are expected across many regions - it is unclear whether any regions will see severe wind gusts of 90-100kph+ but it is best to keep a close eye on forecasts closer to the time.
Remember, we release a daily significant weather outlook map, plus an indepth analysis of the current day to drill down into severe weather risks across the country.
