severe weather

Cyclone Cook Update 13-4-17

Cyclone Cook Update 13/4/2017

By Arno Dyason, Meteorologist.

Cyclone Cook has arrived in New Zealand coastal waters Thursday morning and MetService is following its movement very closely. Widespread rain continues over large parts of the country, although the heaviest and most significant falls remain closely wrapped around the low centre. MetService’s rain radar indicates that this area contains very heavy rainfall, which has moved onto Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty Thursday afternoon ahead of the low centre Thursday evening.

Cooking Up a Storm

by Meteorologist Sarah Sparks

The days are getting shorter and winter is indeed coming, but a burst of air from the tropics is set to affect New Zealand in the coming days. A combo of a Low in the Tasman Sea dragging a lot of humid, sub-tropical air down across New Zealand and the remains of Tropical Cyclone Cook tracking southwards are expected to bring heavy rain, heavy swells and possibly strong winds.

Severe Weather 1-2-3

Written by Lisa Murray, Communication Meteorologist.

Sitting out in the middle of the ocean, New Zealand is vulnerable to weather extremes from all directions, from the remains of tropical systems barreling in from the north, to cold winter southerlies bringing a blanket of snow.

Warnings, Watches and Outlooks

Written by John Law, Meteorologist

Sitting out in the middle of the ocean, New Zealand is vulnerable to extremes of weather from all directions; from the remains of tropical systems barrelling in from the north, to cold winter southerlies bringing a blanket of snow.

As New Zealand’s designated national meteorological service to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), it is MetService's responsibility to provide clear, concise and timely warnings of severe weather that is likely to affect New Zealand.

An eggbeater southerly

Written by Bob McDavitt, Meteorologist

Today’s weather map shows how this cold southerly is being produced by a combination of a HIGH or anticyclone in the Tasman Sea, and a LOW or depression between Canterbury and the Chatham Islands. For want of a better phrase, we could call this an eggbeater southerly.