It’s been a dark and stormy few days in New Zealand weather this week, and we’re only just starting to see the end of Mother Nature’s turmoil this afternoon. Nationwide flooding has caused evacuations, road closures, rolling ships, power cuts and landslides over the last two days, threatening the homes and lives of New Zealanders in several different parts of the country.

Civil defense emergencies have been declared in several difference provinces. The Marlborough region of the South Island saw the storm carve a 1100 metre swathe down the country, destroying almost everything in its path. Wellington has seen 120 kilometre per hour winds which have toppled trees and cut electricity, and a small tornedo has ripped roofs off houses in Mt Maunganui. The cruise liner Pacific Sun was hit by seven metre swells and 50 knot winds at sea, rolling the ship and injuring 42 people on board 600kms off Auckland. Kaikoura has seen a bus flushed out to sea, and a woman in the Bay of Islands was swept to her death while trying to cross a swollen creek in the Bay of Islands. These are just some of the horrifying events New Zealand has seen over the last 48 hours.

Weather forecasts are showing the storm easing this evening over most parts of the country, with heavy rain becoming occasional, and gusts lessening. People are being allowed to return to their homes in the North Island, however many North Canterbury residents will be forced to brave the night elsewhere tonight.

If you’re able to help out anybody in distress, make sure you’re true to our Kiwi ideal of sticking your neck out for others, and lend a hand to those in need. If you or anyone you know is in need of any emergency services, staff and volunteers are working overtime countrywide to assist wherever they can. Stay safe and rest assured that the worst is over New Zealand!

Do you feel it? While we are officially in the middle of winter, the country has been a-flurry with sunny days this week. We’ve had a few chillers this season (to say the least!) so I was interested to find out when exactly, the cold weather of winter starts to fade in favour of spring breezes.

With the help of the National Climate Database, a New Zealand database of historical climate information, I set out this week to analyse temperature patterns in two of the main NZ centres to determine when exactly we should be expecting a little relief from the weather gods.

I think I’ve uncovered good news too. My (albeit un-meteorologically educated) assessment of the winter temperatures in Auckland and Christchurch over the last two years has determined that the coldest point of the year is the first ten days of July, with a low going down to around -7 degrees once or twice during this period. We’ve just hit July’s double digits today, so my optimism says we’re over the worst, and summer is on the way up! Also interesting to note that both cities rarely are submitted to negative temperatures (i.e. frosty, dangerous mornings!) after around July 23, just two weeks away.

Keep an eye on New Zealand weather by visiting the NZS.com weather section frequently (it’s updated hourly!) for both short and long range forecasts for your town or city.

Our brand new weather section was launched this afternoon - now there’s no excuse for getting caught out by the weather! With all the latest New Zealand weather reports, forecasts and updates from MetService, we offer local weather information for your region. You’ll find:

• Today’s weather, updated every hour
• Weather forecasts for the next four days
• Weather reports for North and South Island regions, cities and towns
• Information on climate, sunshine hours, rainfall and average temperature

Online, up-to-the-minute weather reports mean you’ll always have the latest information on-hand, whether you’re planning a weekend escape, wondering whether to catch the bus or walk, or just hoping for summer sunshine to arrive. So, get the latest NZ weather reports, now!