Typical!!

[quote:58dfbd1150="selchie"]Bummer. i guess NZ will have to make do with earthquakes - my personal favorite ::):[/quote:58dfbd1150]

[img:58dfbd1150]http://www.millan.net/anims/giffar/quake.gif[/img:58dfbd1150]

Three most wonderful words....

...Long hot summer....

(christchurch hit 30 again on Saturday)
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,...3a6530,00.html

The Fire Service is warning this could be the beginning of a long hot summer, with scrub fires near Christchurch stretching fire-fighting resources over the weekend.

Assistant regional fire commander Mark Chubb said city firefighting could be compromised by large numbers of wildland fires, such as those at McLeans Island and Evans Pass Road above Sumner yesterday.

"Fires around the urban fringe pulled crews from the city as well as from the fringe, which has exposed us to risk. As soon as we get everybody committed, it's hard to move crews around," Chubb said.

The Fire Service also attended about 10 smaller scrub fires as temperatures in the high 20s coupled with nor'west winds gusting up to 35kmh exacerbated dry conditions.

No-one was injured in the fires, but Chubb urged caution amid what he described as continuing drought in some parts of Canterbury.

Although regional and local councils had not updated fire-risk warnings, Chubb said strong, persistent winds had driven moisture levels down and meant the risk was actually "very high" or higher.

Little rain was expected over the next few weeks.

Most fires were not deliberately lit but were usually associated with human activity, he said. "A number (of scrub fires) have been caused by old rubbish fires reignited by strong winds sometimes days or weeks after they went out.

"We've had fires from motor vehicles with hot exhausts in areas with dry grass. Summer is well and truly with us and that brings the need for caution."

[color=green:054a615a55]They're still talking about those cyclones, though.[/color:054a615a55]

[b:054a615a55]Warm summer likely, but so is cyclone [/b:054a615a55]

05.12.05 1.00pm

New Zealand has a 70 per cent chance of a cyclone passing nearby before April, climate scientists say. Dr Jim Salinger from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) said the risk would be greatest after the end of January, but it still fell within "normal" cyclone activity.

Holidaymakers are likely to enjoy a warmer -- but possibly wetter -- summer in some places, according to the seasonal climate outlook released today. Average or above average air temperatures are expected in every region, while sea temperatures are likely to be above average throughout summer.

Rainfalls are likely to be normal or above normal in the north and east of the North Island, normal or below normal in the west and south of the South Island and "near normal" elsewhere.

Regional predictions:

* Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty: above average temperatures, normal or above normal rainfall.

* Central North Island, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington: above average temperatures, normal seasonal rainfall.

* Gisborne, Hawke's Bay Wairarapa: Above average temperatures, normal or above normal rainfall

* Nelson, Marlborough, Buller: Above average or average temperatures with normal rainfall.

* West Coast, Alps and Foothills, inland Otago, Southland: above average temperatures, normal or below normal rainfall and below normal river flows predicted.

* Coastal Canterbury, East Otago: above average summer temperatures, normal rainfall, below normal moisture levels and stream flows.

- NZPA

errrr what impact does a cyclone have? Are they sea based or land based? Aren't they another name for a tornado? That's not good.

[Glenda]

[quote:7a819d08a1="SteveyC"]errrr what impact does a cyclone have? Are they sea based or land based? Aren't they another name for a tornado? That's not good.[/quote:7a819d08a1]

Stevey,

I believe cyclones are another name for a tropical storm which can get up to hurricane force. :icon_eek: I gather they usually work their way by the Pacific islands north/north-east of New Zealand and along the northern coast of Australia. However, they often come further south over NZ and, apparently, the hotter the water is in the sea, the more severe a cyclone can be. At the moment the weather is warmer than usual and the sea is expected to be warmer - nice living conditions but with a price.

::):

[MotherBear]

[quote:8afd404ba6="Glenda"] At the moment the weather is warmer than usual and the sea is expected to be warmer - nice living conditions but with a price.
[/quote:8afd404ba6]
Hmmm. Should be really toasty warm by the time we get down there in Jan. Would be interesting to experience a cyclone (if I really have to :icon_eek: ). Have some odd pretty freaky rain storms here in The Gulf (windows and doors aren?t geared to keeping rain out either[img:8afd404ba6]http://www.world-of-smilies.com/html/images/smilies/schockiert/eek.gif[/img:8afd404ba6]) but I don?t think we had that much wind with them. I take it, cyclones are accompanied by strong winds?

[SteveyC]

Hi winds and timber houses can't go well together!! Good job Claire doesn't read this forum she's already bricking it about Eartquakes and Red Backs.

[MotherBear]

Must admit I was wondering about high winds and wooden houses myself when the hubster and I were looking at properties the other day.

Don?t think they have the red back in NZ other than maybe one or two very small pockets of them which are contained. The white tail, however, is quite a frequent visitor to many homes. Not deadly but can give you a nasty nip. You can always have the house sprayed, which should get rid of most of the heebie jeebies.
[img:2f6ee09a30]http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/tier/spider.gif[/img:2f6ee09a30][img:2f6ee09a30]http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/tier/spider1.gif[/img:2f6ee09a30]

[Glenda]

When you see here in NZ the places where some houses are perched, :icon_eek: the folks here obviously are not too worried about the odd rough cyclone, earthquake or landslip.

Being a cautious pom, I prefer to stick to a single storey timber dwelling for earthquake safety, sheltered and without that fabulous view to prevent wind damage, a house on a flat plot rather than staked into the side of a hill so not to experience landslip, but higher than sea level in the event of tsunami. I know ... so boring. :icon_neutral:

::):

I think you just ruled out most of New Zealand there, Glenda!