MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said severe northerly gales were expected to hit Fiordland, Southland, inland Otago and the Canterbury High Country tomorrow, and it was possible they could continue into Thursday.
‘‘The stubborn area of high pressure that we’ve had over the country for the last week is finally beginning to break down — at least over the South Island — so on Wednesday, the wind will start to pick up.
‘‘It’s brought nice and settled weather for many, but on Wednesday, the northwesterly winds will start to pick up over Otago and Southland.
‘‘So through Lakes Dunstan and Wanaka — where there’s been some pretty persistent valley lake fog, which has kept it a little bit bleak lately — there should be enough wind to sort of clear that out.’’
Then on Thursday, the northerly flow was expected to pick up some moisture which would affect the west of the South Island, bringing heavy rain to Fiordland and Westland, and some wet weather to parts of Otago and Southland.
‘‘But it’s not looking like it’s going to be very much.
‘‘It does look to be pretty northwesterly, so that tends to mean Otago doesn’t get much in the way of wet weather.
‘‘We will also see those temperatures begin to come up and it will bring a reprieve from the hard frosts you’ve been getting over the last week or so.’’
Mr Ferris said the windier weather could become severe and it might be upgraded to an orange warning ‘‘if the models hold true’’.
‘‘There is modelling that suggests that we could see it get to warning criteria, but it’s not a clear-cut example at the moment.’’
He urged people to be prepared for strong winds anyway, by securing things that could be caught by wind gust, such as trampolines.
‘‘I mean, at this time of year, it’s good to get that done anyway.
‘‘We will, no doubt, see a few more stormy northwesterlies pass by in the coming months.’’
He said the weather was expected to calm down again and the conditions to ‘‘fade away into the weekend’’.
‘‘It looks like there’s a little bit more high pressure moving in around the South.
‘‘So I think you could be in for another settled weekend.’’
