At last, a weekend in August with some ok weather - but there may be gales

Friday, 23 August 2019

The weather will start to settle down for the coming weekend.

After three weekends of the worst of winter weather - including heavy snow, thunderstorms, tornados, gales and monster waves - the coming days look to be much more settled.

But even with the improved outlook, there's a chance of severe gales in exposed parts of Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, northern Hawke's Bay and coastal Gisborne on Sunday. It also looks like the West Coast is in for a wet Sunday.

In Auckland, showers are expected to become isolated on Saturday morning, with fine spells increasing and a high of 15 degrees Celsius. Sunday should be mainly fine with a high of 16C.

Saturday in Wellington starts much the same, with easing southerlies turning northwest, and a 12C high. Sunday is expected to be largely fine, with a 15C high, evening cloud and maybe an occasional shower in the north.

Eyewitnesses said it was like the scene in the Wizard of Oz.

Greymouth receives snow flurries on Sunday.

* North Island hit by thunderstorm, strong winds and heavy rain

* South Island roads remain closed after stormy Saturday

* Carnage after 'tornado' rips through Awakino River baches in Taranaki

* Power outages hit households in Auckland**

Christchurch will be fine on Saturday, heading for a 13C high, and there could be a few early showers about Banks Peninsula. On Sunday the temperature is forecast to get to 17C, and it's expected to be fine but with increasing high cloud.

'Tomorrow, Saturday, there is a ridge coming onto New Zealand and it will bring good weather for most,' MetService meteorologist Tamara Vuksa said on Fridayg.

'So mostly fine and clear skies. There will be some showers along the east coast of North Island, and also some isolated showers in Northland and also Taranaki,' she said.

There was also a chance of isolated showers on Saturday in Whanganui and Waitomo, with a chance of a few getting across to Taihape and Taumarunui.

'Then on Sunday the flow turns more westerly. There is a low, that is currently sitting way to the west, coming onto the South Island and bringing some rain,' Vuksa said.

'So for Sunday we're currently forecasting some rain for the west of the South Island… We have moderate confidence of heavy rain in Fiordland and Westland, and also low confidence of heavy rain and northern Westland and Buller areas.

'And also as the flow turns westerly, and the gradient squeezes, that will bring some winds across North Island. We currently have low confidence of severe west to southwest gales in Northland and Auckland regions. And also possibly, again low confidence of southwest severe gales in Gisborne.'