30 Jul 2009

So long, La Nina - gidday, El Nino and warmer weather

8:22 pm on 30 July 2009

The tail-end of winter is set to warm up as El Nino weather patterns move in from the Pacific Ocean.

That's according to the National Climate Centre at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), which says that the change of seasons will be noticeable because we had an early and cold winter.

It says the spring will bring more frequent south-westerlies, especially along the West Coast.

Rainfall, stream flows and soil moistures are all likely to be average, though there's a heightened risk of drought in northern and eastern regions in early summer.

New Zealand has been experiencing cold and wet La Nina weather for the past eight months.