MetService says the weather should allow for some opportunities for people wanting to gaze skyward at the Matariki star cluster this weekend.
MetService meteorologist Heather Keats said today’s weather would be “a little bit rough”, but it wouldn’t stay that way for the entire long weekend.
“We’ve got some more fronts coming up and moving over the South Island and the North Island. Everyone’s probably in line for rain again, there’s thunderstorms today,” she told Breakfast.
“I know we’ve had quite a few of them recently, but the risk is there for pretty much everywhere. From Stuart Island all the way around the West Coast, all the way up through Marlborough, [it] just might skirt Wellington, around through Taranaki, up through Auckland and up through the Coromandel Peninsula.”
She said after Thursday, “the weekend does get better”.
“It’s just that we’ve got this showery westerly flow, so there’s going to be a few showers here and there, quite a bit of cloud cover. Saturday and Sunday looks okay.”
Keats said recent cold temperatures had made driving hazardous, with a road snowfall warning issued for Milford Road (SH94) for 16 hours from 6pm Thursday.
“However, today’s actually quite a mild day… [As] the system that’s coming in from the Tasman kind of upticks temperatures a little bit.
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“Last night Whitianga dropped down to 3C, today or tonight, they’ll drop down to 11C, so we’ve gone from well below average to well above average.
“And then Christchurch today because it’s in northwester the high today will be 16C and they’ve been –3C for the last five days so today’s a slightly milder day, but then we’re back to just normal average winter temperatures.”
Catching a glimpse of Matariki
Keats said there would be “quite a bit of cloud cover”, but said the best time to gaze skyward was early in the morning.
“Don’t wait too long. Once the sun’s up you can’t see anything, but if you’re up too early, then the clusters haven’t actually risen – so 5.30am to 6.30am is a great time.”
She said there would be “pockets through the entire weekend for you to get up” and see the stars.