New Zealand has just experienced a very atypical weather system of gale-force winds reaching hurricane-force in certain locations across the land. It appears to have been triggered by the warm weather over the Antarctica in the previous month of September, As a result, the whole of New Zealand had to brace itself for abnormally higher temperatures and persistent gale force winds causing havoc across the nation.
Temperatures across the land reached nearly 30 degrees on the day of peak impact. The regions across the land were under severe weather warnings with fire bans and unessential services and activities brought to a sudden halt.
Earth Sciences Meteorology scientists related this threatening weather patterns that pounded across the nation and were traced back to weather conditions encountered across Antarctica in September. In September down at the southern pole region, the upper atmosphere recorded very warm atmospheric conditions that arose suddenly and unexpectedly. Because of these warmer conditions in the upper atmosphere, there was a weakening in the polar vortex which became ‘wobbly’ and adopted a more oblong shape that the typical wave flow pattern.
The low pressure that was over the continent of Antarctica was displaced over the Southern Ocean and subsequently accentuated the pressure gradient through the atmosphere. As the atmospheric conditions approached and began crossing the island nation of New Zealand, the temperatures were very high and persistent, and the winds intensified into gale-force winds with some regions even reaching hurricane-force winds (over 200kmh).
Spring weather in this part of the globe is highly variable and temperatures can rise above normal but this event was very extreme and severe for those regions that experienced the full force of the weather system’s impact.
It is anticipated that more high winds and hot temperatures may continue and reappear in the coming week or ten days. The land may experience another threatening surge in temperature and in wind. The best forecast is for highly variable weather patterns over the coming weeks. There is also the anticipation of more rain may be brought into the region also.
