Forecast for the Southern Lakes up until Sunday 11th May.
An anticyclone remains slow moving to the east of the North Island. A very messy and complex trough of low pressure in the eastern Tasman Sea is moving onto the country with many fronts. A small stationary front lies just north of East Cape with a small depression over eastern Bay of Plenty. A frontal system just north of Cape Reinga is moving southeastwards and should spread rain to much of the north of the North Island today. Another small low within this trough lies off the South Westland coast and has an associated slow moving cold front moving eastwards towards the west of the South Island where heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely today. A colder southerly airstream lies over the western Tasman Sea and this should move onto the South Island tomorrow with showers. Further cold fronts in this airstream will bring periods of cold showery weather.
Forecast for the Southern Lakes for today is overcast with heavy rain about the western ranges and occasional thunderstorms. Elsewhere cloudy but dry this morning, but a little rain spreading in at times this afternoon. Remaining mild. Yesterday`s maximum temperature in Queenstown was a very pleasant 14.4 degrees. Upper level winds for today at 1000 metres northerly 35 kph dying away. At 2000 metres northerly 55 kph dying out. Freezing level lowering to 1800 metres. Maximum temperatures today for Queenstown 14 degrees. For Glenorchy, Wanaka and the Upper Clutha 13 degrees. For Kingston 15 degrees.
Tomorrow cloudy with light rain at times during the morning. A cold change in the afternoon bringing southerlies and showers. Light snow to 900 metres.
Saturday a brief improvement is likely with west to northwesterly winds and mainly fine weather apart from showers in the western ranges.
Sunday a further cold front will bring another change to colder southerly winds and a few showers.
