[Pulsarblu]

[color=green:4535e80c7a]I guess this type of weather is normal during this time of the year..[/color:4535e80c7a]

[b:4535e80c7a][color=red:4535e80c7a]Quake hits eastern Bay of Plenty
02 January 2006 [/color:4535e80c7a][/b:4535e80c7a]

An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter Scale hit the Bay of Plenty today.


The quake, centred about 100km out to sea from Te Kaha in the eastern Bay of Plenty and at a depth of 120km, hit at 10.56am, the website of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said.

The quake may have been felt on the Raukumara Peninsula, the website said.


[b:4535e80c7a][color=red:4535e80c7a]Storms wreak havoc across country
02 January 2006 [/color:4535e80c7a][/b:4535e80c7a]
Severe gale-force winds lashed many parts of the country today - lifting roofs, cutting power, sparking fires and forcing flight cancellations.


The lower North Island bore the brunt of the northwest blast, while high winds in Canterbury felled power lines, sparking several grass and scrub fires.

Parts of Southland, Otago and Stewart Island were also battered by strong winds.

In Wellington the winds reached hurricane force, with the MetService's suburban Kelburn weather station recording gusts of 160kmh.

Fire Service spokesman Dave Meikle told NZPA that at its peak, around 11am, the winds stretched the Wellington region's firefighting resources.

Staff attended about 140 weather-related callouts in the lower North Island, mainly in Wellington and the Hutt Valley.

Most were for lifting roofs, trees fallen on houses or roads and felled power lines. Most of the calls were before midday, with the wind easing after that.

Firefighters were also called to similar incidents in Feilding and the Manawatu, he said.

The severe winds forced the cancellation of about a dozen flights into Wellington Airport. About a score more had to be either delayed or rescheduled.

Winds at the airport reached 113kmh at their peak.

A police spokesman said despite the high winds across the lower North Island there had been no serious accidents so far.

But power lines company United Networks reported fallen lines had knocked out power to some customers from Wellington, the Hutt Valley and in the Manawatu, Rangitikei, Tararua and South Taranaki districts.

The highest wind gust in the lower North Island - 165kmh - was recorded at Wellington's Mt Kau Kau.

Meanwhile the winds knocked out power to about 2000 Canterbury houses today - felling power lines and causing others to arc together, sparking grass and scrub fires.

Power company Orion's Christchurch control centre manager Colin Wright told NZPA the hot gusty winds caused power blackouts in the Canterbury towns of Brookside, Bankside and Motukarara and at Teddington and Diamond Harbour on Banks Peninsula.

Calls started coming in when the wind strength increased about 1pm, whipping tree branches into the power lines, Mr Wright said. "We're having a busy day."

Orion had called in about six repair crews, which were working their way through a list of faults. About 12 incidents had been reported since 1pm, Mr Wright said.

Some 2000 customers in Motukarara, Teddington and Bankside were still without power late this afternoon.

"We certainly hope to have it cleared up today," Mr Wright said.

Calls had tailed off since about 2.50pm, he added.

The high winds and temperatures also kept firefighters busy.

Firefighters were battling a major fire this afternoon at Adams Sawmilling in the Mid-Canterbury town of Fairton.

Ashburton fire crews were called out to two grass fires on the southeastern side of the town, while firefighters were called to a 1km by 300m scrub fire in Woodend, about 40km north of Christchurch, caused by two power lines brought down by the wind.

Firefighters were also battling a large scrub fire near the Bottle Lake Forestry Park at the northern end of Waimairi Beach on the outskirts of Christchurch.

The gales also caused trouble for campers in many parts of the country.

Popular Wairarapa camping spot Castlepoint was one of those buffeted, forcing some holiday makers to take down their tents.

Castlepoint Holiday Park manager Pauline Holland told NZPA a few people were packing up and going home but she hoped others might come in and take their spot.

The wind was also making the beach a no-go area with sand whipping up, she said.

"It's been really, really awful - really uncomfortable."

Ms Holland hoped the wind was an aberration as there had been many lovely days recently.

But MetService forecaster Jasmine Kennedy said that was unlikely.

Although the high winds would drop throughout the day, they would pick up again to gale level across much of the country tomorrow afternoon and the weather could remain windy for several days.

Ms Kennedy said Southland and Central Otago also received a battering today, with wind gusts of 159kmh recorded at Southwest Cape on Stewart Island and 179kmh at Central Otago's Mid Dome.

South Island police and firefighters said they had also handled a handful of callouts, mostly to lifting roofs and fallen power lines in Invercargill and Dunedin.