Winter's arrived!

[MotherBear]

Time to wrap up - winter's finally decided to get serious
5:00AM Monday June 18, 2007
By Derek Cheng


Skiing has started again near Queenstown, while Auckland and Wellington both shivered. Photo / Coronet Peak

Winter arrived in earnest this weekend, sending temperatures plunging and bringing snow to hills around Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

And it's just getting started.

A southerly flow kept many in the northern and central regions wrapped up as the mercury fell to as low as 4C in Auckland, and 5C in Wellington.

The Turoa skifield also had light snowfalls, as did ranges in inland Canterbury.

MetService forecaster Ian Miller said that after a respite today, a cold front tomorrow would bring showers to many South Island areas.

Wednesday is expected to bring rain, possibly heavy, to Northland and the Bay of Plenty, "and that will probably spill over into Gisborne and the Hawkes Bay on Thursday", said Mr Miller.

More here .

New ways of beating winter chill

Open fires inefficient, expensive, noxious

[MotherBear]

Storm hits Sydney, next stop NZ
Page 1 of 2 11:30AM Wednesday June 20, 2007


Heavy winds fuelled last week the waves at Harbord in Sydney, Australia. Photo / Reuters

A storm sweeping over the Tasman Sea means trouble for New Zealand over the next few days.

The violent weather off the coast south of Sydney is bringing destructive winds, heavy rains, damaging surf and snow to large parts of NSW.

Sydney has escaped a battering from predicted hurricane force winds with a huge storm in the Tasman Sea easing and moving slowly away from coast, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says.

Senior forecaster Peter Zmijewski says winds up to 55km/h along the NSW coastline from southern Sydney to the south coast are expected to ease and the storm's threat will have passed by midday (AEST).

"We are expecting these winds to gradually ease later this morning," he said today.

Forecasts yesterday predicted storm winds of up to 125km/h would hit Sydney, the south coast, Central Coast, and the Hunter region today.

More here .

[MotherBear]

Weather conditions to ease tomorrow
Page 1 of 2 Updated 2:35PM Saturday June 23, 2007


A truck negotiates the Edith Cavell Bridge in driving snow near Arthurs Pt, Queenstown, yesterday. Photo / Otago Daily Times

The very strong, cold southwesterlies will continue today, bringing further snow showers to low levels in Southland and Otago.

Heaviest snowfalls are expected to be about the Catlins where another 10 to 15cm could accumulate down to 200 metres between this morning and early tomorrow.

The southwesterlies may rise to severe gale at times until Sunday morning in coastal areas from Stewart Island and Bluff to the Otago Peninsula with gusts to 120 kilometres an hour.

Westerly gales are likely again to hit the North Island today in many places with the strongest winds gusting to 130 kilometres an hour at times until Sunday morning in eastern areas between Napier and Masterton.

During Sunday the weather conditions should ease as a deep low, south of the Chatham Islands, moves away.

Dunedin police reported snow falling in the city overnight and continuing this morning.

More here .

[MotherBear]

Winter wetter, warmer
5:00AM Sunday June 24, 2007
By Michelle Coursey

It's cold, snowy, wet or wild outside this weekend - but forecasters say this winter will be mild and warm.

Severe winter blasts have hit New Zealand over the past four days bringing road and airport closures due to snow and squalls across both islands. But the national climate centre Niwa and the MetService agree that this weekend will not be typical - we're in for a mild winter.

MetService says temperatures will be around 2C warmer than usual this winter in almost every part of the country, and Niwa scientist Dr Jim Salinger agrees temperatures will be up - "but we will have cold spells".

MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said the weather for June, July and August was being influenced by a trend towards La Nina, a weather pattern where cooler sea temperatures in the equatorial Pacific ocean cause warmer sea surface temperatures around New Zealand.

"La Nina means means fewer southwesterly [winds] than normal, as far as our winters are concerned. And even though we have had a southwesterly wind raging [this weekend], which is sharp and memorable, we haven't had that many of them this winter."

More here .

[MotherBear]

Wild weather hits North Island
12:10PM Tuesday June 26, 2007

The North Island has been hit by high winds and snow, closing roads and disrupting ferry crossings.

Hundreds of inter-island passengers were left stranded by the storm and the Desert Road was closed until lunchtime.

When crossings resumed, passengers were warned they faced a rough crossing and weere offered the chance to re-book.

Strong southerlies were continuing in Wellington, with snow forecast down to 400m.

Up to 6cm of snow was expected to accumulate on the Desert Road by noon today.

Snowfalls also affected the Rimutaka Hill Rd on State Highway 2, which was closed briefly overnight.

More here

[Welshgirl]

Well, I'm wondering where all this bad weather is - it hasn't affected us in Hamilton

Save for a few rainy days/nights and a few frosty mornings, the sun's been shining daily

Guess we've just been lucky

[MotherBear]

Well, you know what they say about the sun shining on the righteous......

Just get Taffy to sort out that new water tank and board up the games room wall and it'll be wall to wall sunshine for you lot.

[MotherBear]

Tornado rips through central New Plymouth
1:41PM Wednesday July 04, 2007


A tornado ripped through New Plymouth early this afternoon lifting roofs, smashing windows and throwing debris around the city centre.

Twenty houses and businesses have borne the brunt of the damage and the roof of a Placemakers store near the coast has been partially lifted off, according to a police source.

A witness said a 10 x 10 metre section of the roof was torn off and landed on around 6 cars, causing extensive damage.

Two shopkeepers on the main street spoken to by the Herald said police and other emergency services are currently on the scene in the area of Molesworth St and Gover St, New Plymouth.

Resident Kathryn Calvert said the city had come to a stand-still.

"It looks like it came up from the sea and it's taken the entire roof off the (Placemakers) building."

More here .

[MotherBear]

May be some comfort to certain people who are thinking of touring in a campervan.

Don't worry, it will be warmer than you'd expect - Niwa
11:50AM Thursday July 05, 2007

Niwa today issued some comfort to the country after the battering of the past few days, saying the next three months would be warmer than usual.

Tornadoes hit several parts of the North Island yeasterday, with Tauranga the worst hit.

Auckland had heavy rain and snow fell in Otago overnight.

But Niwa said temperatures for the next three months would be above average.
However, the weather agency also warned of more rainfall than usual in parts of the north and east of the North Island.

More here .

[MotherBear]

Hope everyone's safe and not in any danger.

Tornadoes cause $7m damage, storms move north (+photos)
Page 1 of 3 1:01PM Friday July 06, 2007


A tornado in Wanganui uprooted a tree and upturned a bus shelter in Wanganui. Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

The thunderstorms which caused a series of twisters in Taranaki and Wanganui last night are now moving north.

Storms are forming offshore across Northland, Auckland and the Waikato and conditions could be right for more tornadoes, Newstalk ZB head weather analyst Philip Duncan said.

A severe weather warning from MetService said a low in the Tasman Sea was expected to track across Northland early this afternoon and Auckland this evening.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms ahead of this were due on Northland from late this morning.

A state of emergency was declared in the New Plymouth district last night after a series of tornadoes there left thousands without power and homes severely damaged.


More here .

Why the spate of tornadoes?