Sun to start New Year

The new year will bring fair weather to South Canterbury spelling good news for boaties, campers, fishermen and revellers.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said the region could expect a benign start to the year weather-wise.

‘‘The weather for the coming week is not particularly exciting,’’ McInnes said.

‘‘But that is probably what many are wanting.’’

Timaru, which is in the middle of its 15-day annual Caroline Bay Carnival, can expect partly cloudy conditions on Tuesday with the mercury reaching a toasty 25 degrees Celsius. A light north-east breeze will cool it down for beach-goers, she said.

Further inland the Mackenzie District will experience a high of 28°C but some afternoon showers are expected about the Divide. Winds in the region will pick up to 75kmh overnight Tuesday.

A scorcher is expected on Wednesday with temperatures across the entire South Canterbury region expected to rise to a maximum 29C. Timaru will experience high cloud while the rest of the region can anticipate a few showers and strong or gale force westerly winds that will gradually ease.

The remainder of the week will see fine weather across the region but rain is expected to return on Friday in Timaru and to the lakes on Sunday.

South Canterbury saw less than its average rainfall during a dry 2018, before a wet November which brought freezing temperatures and snow. The deluge did not let up until midDecember but it was too late for some berry and potato crops.