1News weather expert Daniel Corbett sets the scene for the long weekend.
Easter weekend and school holidays are upon us and, as usual, New Zealand weather won’t stay quiet for long.
We are at the time of year when there are lots of things going on in the atmosphere, all vying for centre stage.
Some of the usual culprits will be having a hand in our Easter forecast - from the fading heat of the summer and the active tropics to the north to the reemerging boisterous storms from the Southern Ocean.
Throw in the fading La Nina and the still very warm seas (extra oomph for weather systems) around New Zealand and you have a good mix for variety to the Easter holiday weather.
So, what can we expect?
The good news first is that the large anticyclone currently moving across the country will make for some ideal travelling weather to start the Easter Holidays. Be it by car, camper or plane most of the travelling days will be settled and dry.
A few showers might start to show up in Fiordland on Good Friday.
Elsewhere, with daytime temperatures reaching the low to mid-20s across most of the country, you might be tempted to just grab the t-shirts, shorts and sunglasses. But throw the raincoat and an extra layer in too. They will come in handy later on!
I’ll explain more in a moment….
One of the usual autumn culprits for wet and windy weather will roll into the far south of New Zealand over the Easter Weekend.
That could help fuel a rain bearing front as it moves across southern New Zealand on Saturday and then central New Zealand on Easter Sunday.
Northern and western areas of the South Island could cop some of the wet weather on Easter Sunday with most other locations remaining dry.
As we move into Easter Monday and the first week of school holidays, the atmosphere around New Zealand will get into a bit of an autumn tussle. Warm and cold air competing for dominance.
This is where that wet weather gear you threw in the back of car when you pulled out of the driveway will come in handy.
In that week, heads up for a rainmaker from the tropics. As we saw during summer, some of them can be impactful.
Oh, remember that extra layer you threw in too? It will come in handy.
After the spell of wind and rain from the Tasman rainmaker, the Southern Ocean could send us a surge of autumn wind, rain and possibly colder air going into that second week of school holidays.
Easter school holidays, a bit of everything in other words.
Enjoy the Easter break!
‘Take the raincoat ‘ - Who’s in for rain this Easter weekend - watch on TVNZ+
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