Extreme fire risk as hot dry spell continues

Port Hills / fenz

Strong, warm, north to northwesterly winds once again give way to a cool southerly flow as the familiar pattern of this summer in New Zealand continues.

Strong Wind Warnings and Watches are in place for the eastern South Island and lower North Island today, but as the winds ease and change, the weather settles.

From Tuesday MetService is forecasting calm days ahead.

The strong winds hampered firefighting efforts over the weekend, with fires in both the Port Hills of Christchurch and the Waikari Valley in North Canterbury on Monday.

MetService Meteorologist Clare O’Connor said, “The dry conditions and warm temperatures we have been seeing about eastern regions tie directly into the stronger west to northwesterly winds which have been coming and going this summer.

“Regular southerly wind changes have offered respite to the temperatures, but the associated precipitation has not been enough to reverse the drying effect – so despite the winds easing, the fire danger remains a concern.”

Sharp drops in temperatures are expected on Tuesday.

Canterbury and Marlborough will peak at to peak at 27°C to 29°C on Monday afternoon but barely reach 19°C on Tuesday.