Warmer weather on the way

DANIEL TOBIN

A BRIDGE TO BETTER WEATHER: Brighton Pier at sunrise this morning. Forecasters say warmer weather is on the way this weekend.

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Forget the Gold Coast, the Cook Islands and Hawaii, and stay home instead this weekend.

Warm weather is on the way and temperatures could even reach 20deg in Canterbury this weekend.

The first big nor'westerly for months is brewing out in the Tasman Sea and should bring spring-like temperatures and buffeting winds from Saturday night until Sunday afternoon.

MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said gales or severe gales were likely on Sunday, with heavy rain in the Alps and significant falls in the headwaters of the Canterbury rivers too.

Tomorrow would be sunny with north-easterly winds developing, and Saturday would slowly become milder ahead of the nor'westerlies arriving at night.

Another spell of north-west weather next week was likely to be followed by a cold blast towards the end of the week, he said.

"This is a real change of pattern from the cold and reasonably windless conditions we've had."

The signs were August would be more westerly than the last few months, McDavitt said.

That brought the risk of cold snaps.

"With westerlies, every so often they relax and cold air comes in to replace them. Because they are so cold and snappy, they do a lot of damage."

- © Fairfax NZ News