Weather Bomb hits NZ

Compared to Florida the frequency of tornados and hurricanes is quite rare. Flooding on the other hand is quite frequent and we have learned to live with them. The reason that flooding can be quite common in New Zealand is that our country is covered with mountains and our hills are steep due to the fact that New Zealand is a new country in geographical terms, the soil in many parts of New Zealand has a high proportion of expansive clay which provides poor drainage. Rain is deposited on the hills and mountains and then this feeds into streams and rivers. The water levels in rivers and streams can rise dramatically within a short period of time, in some cases the levels can rise 3 metres within an hour. This week in my region we have had intense flooding and many roads have been closed due to landslips. Some rural communities have been cut off as bridges on their access roads have been washed away. In situations like this the civil defence organisation arranges food drops by helicopter.

Well, no one can say the weather will be boring in NZ.

Not good news.

Nearly all available electricity used in June
1.00pm Monday July 17, 2006

It almost got to the stage where the last few volts of electricity were dribbling out of the power socket on the wall, to draw a parallel between currents of electricity and flows of water out of a tap.

Data released today shows nearly all available electricity in New Zealand was used during the worst of last month's cold weather.

Transpower went on alert with a nationwide grid emergency, asking power plants to boost their machines and lines companies to cut demand from 5.30pm on June 19.

In what Electricity Commission chairman Roy Hemmingway described as a rare event, standby power plant usually available in the "reserves market" had to be used to fill the gap.

Nearly 1000 megawatts of power plant was not available on the day, with some plants not operating or because of transmission line maintenance.

With the tight supply, electricity spot prices shot up . Final prices for June 19 were calculated at $10,000 a megawatt hour for the 5pm to 6pm period.

Mr Hemmingway said these were the highest nationwide spot power prices on record.

- NZPA

A site with some good pics of weather . Bit of a change from all the dramatic stuff we've been seeing lately.

Regarding the power shortage: It seems that with so many homes relying on portable electric heaters and electric blankets that power usage would be high. What's the availability and cost of natural gas/propane? Where I live, natural gas is generally a cheaper form of heating than electricity. But I don't know what the supplies and costs are in NZ. It could be another good reason to install forced-air heat if the fuel is cost-effective.

The winter road closures in NZ sound a lot like where I live now, so it won't be such a shock when we get there. We just assume that when a big storm hits, that we're likely to be stuck home for a while. It wreaks havok with holiday travel, but then we prefer to stay at home while everyone else is driving madly about.

Make sure you've got your brolly to hand, Helen.

Rain sets records – and more to come
18 July 2006

Parts of the lower North Island have had their wettest July on record – and there's more rain on the way. MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said the reason for all the rain was that over the past few weeks, low-pressure systems had been crossing the North Island.

'Later this week we are forecasting a repeat of this pattern, and our severe weather outlook maps are already indicating the possibility of more rain for the eastern North Island on Thursday and Friday,' he said.

The southeastern end of the North Island had been taking the brunt of the recent rain.

The whole region from Wairarapa to Wanganui and around Wellington is now suffering from soggy soil syndrome, whereby even a small amount of rain produces ponding and slippage,' Mr McDavitt warned.

Two MetService rain stations have already seen their wettest-ever July. Up until noon yesterday Ngawi, near the southeast tip of the North Island, had recorded 291mm for the month, well exceeding its previous wettest July of 205mm in 1994. In the same period, East Taratahi, near Masterton, recorded 199mm, beating its previous wettest July of 176mm in 1996.

Records have been kept at Ngawi since 1987 and at East Taratahi since 1982. The heavy rain has caused flooding and slips throughout the southern North Island during the past two weeks.

-NZPA

Can't remember when you're landing, Helen, but I hope it's after this lot passes through. NZ certainly is having a rough ride this winter.

Hope everyone's OK, especially you and that leaking roof, Stevey.

A really sunny weekend makes a hell of a difference. It'll be ok now for a few days even if it does start raining again, it's only after prolonged really heavy rain the leak starts. Set for a nice day tomorrow also so it's encouraging once more. Bring on the spring :icon_biggrin:

Winter's not over yet. Hope everyone's OK in the Wellie area, especially those living on a hillside.

And a good reason for living on low ground....

Be ready to evacuate, homeowners warned
08 August 2006

Civil Defence is warning homeowners in slip-prone areas to watch for signs of imminent landslides and to be prepared to evacuate. The warning came after a landslide in the Hutt Valley suburb of Kelson, the latest in a series of slips in residential areas around the country.

Acting Civil Defence director Bruce Ferguson advised homeowners to contact their local council to find out if slips had claimed land in their neighbourhood. 'If you think a landslide is about to happen, you should get your Getaway kit and evacuate,' he said.

Civil Defence suggested people should regularly inspect and maintain their property and check for signs that the ground may be moving.

These signs included:
• sticking doors and window frames;
• gaps where frames were not fitting properly;
• decks and verandahs moving or tilting away from the rest of the house;
• new cracks or bulges on the ground, road or footpath;
• leaning trees, retaining walls or fences; and
• water springs, seeps or waterlogged ground in areas not usually wet.

'A particularly wet winter has saturated the ground and destabilised some foundations,' Mr Ferguson said. 'Being aware of the warning signs can help reduce damage to your home or business and help you survive. The most important thing is to be aware of the hazards we face and be prepared for the worst.'

Yesterday the Kelson slip caused four houses to be evacuated, after about 80 square metres of their sections, a car port and a verandah fell away. This morning, a sleepout, a shed and the corner of one house were teetering on the edge of the slip.

The consensus of the assembled residents, engineers and firefighters was the buildings would fall. About 300m of native bush lay between the homes and the main Hutt Valley road below.

Acting Senior Sergeant Eric Tibbott said police were alerted to the slip about 8.30pm after a day of steady rain. The evacuated houses were all in Vista Grove which, along with neighbouring Levin Grove, had been cordoned off and were accessible only to residents, he said.

-NZPA

I was at one of my friend's house when I visited in May. His house was situated in a very steep hill in Wellington city.

I am surprised that the road was especially steep and parking the car and walking was difficult enough. Imagine the ground, steep and yet have to bear the entire weight of not just one house but multiples of them.

I would have sleepless nights staying in those houses, but I guess others will get used to it after staying for some period of time. The view from those houses are fantastic but I think I will prefer to have safety and not the views. I can get the views by just driving up to a lookout point.