This Week's Forecasting 20th - 24th February

[JennyLeez]

A low coming from New South Wales in Australia will start to make its way over the South Island today before covering the North Island with heavy rain on Wednesday.

WeatherWatch.co.nz chief analyst Philip Duncan said a large high lay out to the east of the country and a developing low lay to the west, which created a passage for a "very humid" northerly wind down the country.

"So that should help boost the temperatures right up, possibly over 30 degrees in Hawkes Bay," Mr Duncan said.

And even though most of the country should prepare for rain, particularly the North Island, Mr Duncan said it would be far from cold.

"It looks like it's going to be a hot, humid and muggy week, even if it is a bit wet."

Up until the weekend, most of the country would be covered by the slow-moving low, Mr Duncan said.

"I think it will clear up on Friday, maybe with a few showers hanging around, but I think it will clear up then," he said.

"But possibly another front could move past just after that low leaves."
NZHerald

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[David]

Wouldn't mind a bit of rain as things are a little bit dry here - 44 mm in Jan and 31 mm so far for Feb

[TokWW]

We have had 184.8mm in January and now 39.6mm so far this month - a bit disparate!  January was +53.0mm higher than our average! Quite a surprisingly high ave of 142.34mm really for middle of summer. Although February is our driest month at 63.025mm over 4 years (one of which was 168.3mm!!)  So we can get the odd extreme...  although this month appears to be much closer to our average for Feb at this rate.

[JennyLeez]

There is a warning for severe gale force winds in Wellington today, as heavy rainfall pounds the rest of the country.

MetService said northerly gales reaching up to 130 kilometres per hour in exposed places are forecast for Wellington today.

They could damage unsecure structures and make driving hazardous.

The winds should begin to slowly ease this afternoon.

A spell of northwest gales may hit exposed inland parts of North Canterbury and Marlborough, also about Wairarapa.

Parts of the country has been drenched today, leading to slips, surface flooding and an airport runway has been closed.

Dozens had their travel plans disrupted this morning after the runway at Dunedin Airport closed due to dangerous surface flooding and a bird-strike.

And the airport is unsure when flights will resume.

MetService said the largest rainfall is expected in Nelson, the north and west of Marlborough, Buller, Westland, the Canterbury High Country, about Mt Taranaki and the Tararua Range today.

Heavy downpour is also expected over the Westland Ranges until midnight and the eastern Bay of Plenty, with up to 120mm of rain forecasted.

In the Bay of Plenty a large slip has blocked a lane on State Highway Two.

Up to 70mm of rainfall is also predicted for Southland and Otago.

The low will be followed by a cold front crossing central and northern New Zealand, bringing another burst of rain.

People are advised rivers and streams may rise rapidly, and slips and surface flooding are possible.
TV1 News

[Rwood]

Strong winds but nothing exceptional. If sun follows in later days I won't mind.

[ato2]

"MetService said the largest rainfall is expected in Nelson, the north and west of Marlborough, Buller, Westland, the Canterbury High Country, about Mt Taranaki and the Tararua Range today"

I don't know what they define as largest rainfall. Mt Taranaki had a few mm in each of the 3 stations maintained by the Regional Council.