Meteorological Society Of New Zealand (Inc.) · sites in Nov 2013 and also in our newsletter in Dec 2013. Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter #133 Jun 2013 - Page 8 NOTABLE

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter #133 Jun 2013 - Page 1

ISSN 0111-1736

Meteorological SocietyOf New Zealand (Inc.)

NEWSLETTER 133JUNE 2013


Meteorological SocietyOf New Zealand (Inc.)

NEWSLETTER 133JUNE 2013

PO Box 6523, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, New ZealandPlease forward contributions to Bob McDavitt,

[email protected]

CONTENTS PagePresident’s foreword 3Conferences 4Meetings 5-7Obituary—Bruce Ereckson 8Summer 2012-2013 (NIWA + Ben Tichborne) 9-17Summer 2012– 2013 pick of the clips 17-43

Your Committee—until AGM President Sam DeanImmediate Past President Andrew Tait Auckland VP Jennifer SalmondWellington VP James RenwickChristchurch VP Simon ParsonsDunedin VP Daniel Kingston

Secretary Katrina RichardsTreasurer Alan PorteousCirculation Manager Sylvia NicholJournal Editor Brian Giles/Jennifer Salmond Newsletter Editor Bob McDavitt [email protected] Editor James Sturman Hydro.Soc Liaison: Charles Pearson

General CommitteeMike Revell

Gareth RenowdenDuncan Ackerley

Kim DirksViews and endorsements expressed in this newsletter are those of the

contributors and advertisers, and not necessarily those of the Meteorological Society of New Zealand.

The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they


ForewordfromourPresidentAproblem facing all presidents appointedby a dominantminority isestablishing the righttimeto�leethecountrywithyouraccumulatedwealth. AssuchaweekagoIleftforAustriaandatimelybreakfromthewinter!Myforesightwasinadequatethough,asIwasnotintimetoescapetheworststorminWellingtonsincethesinkingoftheWahine.

OurhomesitsexposedonaridgeoverlookingtheroughwatersofCookStraitandforaperiodoftimetheexperiencewasquitefrightening.Outsidethewindroaredlikeanoncomingtrain,whileinsideourwoodenhousecreaked,groanedandshook.Thewallsabsorbedthistremen-dousenergyby�lexinginawaythatIhopenevertowitnessagain.Theeffectwasenhancedbythe�lickeringlights,beatingtothetuneofthewind.

Bymorningeverytreeinourgardenhadbeenstrippedof its leaves,plants lay�lattenedasthoughbyasteamrollerandeverywherefencesandtreeslayrecumbentandforlorn.Butwewerelucky.Someofourneighbourslosttheirroofsandtheirhouseswereruinedbytherainthatfollowed.Manypeoplewereleftwithoutpowerfordays.

Itturnsoutthatweathercanenthralusandterroriseusinequalmeasure.Beingpreparedthroughbestpossibleweather forecastingmust remainapriority for this countrynowandintothefuture.

Iwisheverybodyasafeandenjoyablewinterofweather.

SamDeanPresident.

(Newsletter editor’s comment: Map above is at midnight end of Thursday 20 June 2013. We will be covering this June storm in more detail in our next newsletter, Wellington’s wind was strong-est since 1985.)


AroundtheRegions:Memberswereinvitedtothefollowingseminarsmoviesandtalks

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Auckland:

Thursday14March,“Mappingtheclimatescepticalblogosphere”,ByAmeliaSharman

Wed29May"ObservationsofSupercooledLiquidWaterovertheSouthernOcean"byDrSteve Siems,MonashWeather andClimate, School ofMathematical Sciences,MonashUniversity

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Wellington1.12MarchDaveFrameonTuesdayThetopicis"ClimateScienceandFutureClimateGovern-ance". See http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/viclife/events/public-lectures/inaugural-... formoreinformation.2.19MarchatRSNZ,Thorndon. "Cars,cats,climatechange"byProf.DavidFraser,See http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/media/ANZCCART-lecture-19-March-2013.pdfformoreinfor-mation.3.20MarchatUpperHutt"ClimateReality"presentationbyMikeSummerell,See http://www.gleanmedia.co.nz/downloads/2013-3-8-4.pdforclimaterealityproject.orgformorein-formation.4.Thursday21stMarch2013,ProfShaunHendy,SchoolofChemicalandPhysicalSciences,VUW:“TheEconomicsofKnowledge”Howmuchshouldgovernmentsspendonscience?5.Thursday4April2013AssociateProfessorJamesRenwickSchoolofGeography,EnvironmentandEarthScienceson“TheSAM,ozonerecovery,andthefutureof Antarcticseaice”TheSouthernAnnularMode(SAM)isadominantplayerinSouth-ernHemisphereatmosphericcirculationvariabilityonmonthlyandlongertimescales.6.11April2013MikeSummerellon”ClimateRealityProject”atTheDowseArtMuseum:ALGORE'SFOLLOWUPTOANINCONVENIENTTRUTH7.Thursday18thApril2013DrBethanyHaalboom,,SchoolofGeography,EnvironmentandEarthSciencesonThePowerandPerilof“Vulnerability”:ApproachingCommunityLabelswithCautioninClimateChangeResearch---IndigenouscommunitiesintheArctichavebe-comeincreasinglycharacterizedas“vulnerable”inthecontextofclimatechangeresearch.8.Thursday9thMay2013TravisAncelet,GNSScienceom“UnderstandingtheSourcesandFactorsContributingtoParticulateMatterPollutioninNewZealand”--Particulatematter(PM)iswell-knowntohaveadverseeffectsonhumanhealthandtheenvironment.9.'ThinIce'climatechangemovielaunch22April'ThinIce'isaveryinterestingandthoughtful�ilmaboutsomeofthescientistsinvolvedinclimatechangeresearch,madeasajointeffortbetweenVic-toriaandOxfordUniversities. Allthebackgroundinformationisatthewebsitehttp://thiniceclimate.org. Aradiointerviewaboutthe�ilmisat Simonhttp://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/2013040610.Tuesday23AprilCarboncaptureandstorageinNewZealand-anintroductionforregu-latorsandlawyers,ByBradField---ThisisanexpandeddryrunforashorttalkinWellingtoninMayandaimstoexplain(brie�ly)whatCCSis,-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-CHRISTCHURCHMonday,6May,2013:AirPollutionSeminar

NIWASeminar:INTRA-URBANVARIATIONINAIRPOLLUTIONANDSUSCEPTIBILITYPre-sentedby:DrJaneClougherty,AssistantProfessorandDirectorofExposureScience,UniversityofPittsburghGraduateSchoolofPublicHealth(videolinkedtoNIWAAuck-landandWellington)

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/viclife/events/public

www.royalsociety.org.nz/media/ANZCCART

www.gleanmedia.co.nz/downloads/2013

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-DUNEDIN

On28March,AssociateProfessorBobLloydon,DirectortheEnergyStudiesProgramme,DepartmentofPhysicson“ThePathologyofaSpecies”--Withtheargumentthatcli-matechangeandpeakoilarebutsymptomsofanunderlyingpathologyandthattryingtotacklethemindependentlyoftheunderlyingpathologywillnotwork.”

22AprilThinIceMovieshowing.The�ilmwasproducedjointlybyOxfordUniversityandVictoriaUniversityofWellington.SeethefollowingURLformoredetails.http://thiniceclimate.org/about-the-�ilm

22AprilClimateChange-Wherearewenowandwhatdowedonext?"With:ProfessorJonathanBoston(ProfessorofPublicPolicy,VictoriaUniversitySchoolofGovern-ment)DrJanetStephenson('RiskAssessmentforNZ'andDirectoroftheCentreforSustainability,Otago)ProfessorColinCampbell-Hunt(OtagoClimateChangeNetwork)AlecDawson(GenerationZero).

9MayClimateChangeNetwork-ChristopherRosen,CentreforSustainabilityonQuestion-ingClimateChange:denialandidentityamongNZPastoralfarmers.–

23MayDaniel'spresentationistitled:"Uncertaintyinclimatechangeimpactsonfreshwa-terresources-aninter-basincomparison"

Monday27May“The challenge of our time - climate change and where students fit in” byLouisChambers(graduatedfromOtagoin2012).Thisseminarofferssomere�lectionsonwherelawstudents�itintowhatformerUNSecretaryKo�iAnnancalled"theleader-shipchallengeofourtime".

UV Radiation: Effects on Human Health and the Environment (2014)

ThisisthesecondannouncementregardingtheupcomingUVWorkshop, “UVRadiation:EffectsonHumanHealthandtheEnvironment”,tobeheldattheHer-itageHotelinAuckland,NewZealandbetween15-17April2014.

Seehttps://www.niwa.co.nz/atmosphere/uv-ozone/uv-science-workshops/2014-uv-workshopforfurtherdetails.Registrationsarenowopen.Onbehalfofmyco-convenors(BarbaraHegan,ProfRobertScragg,DrPeterGies,ProfRobynLucas,andProfMichaelKimlin),Iinviteyoutoregister,andtosubmitthetitleandshortabstractofthepaperyouwouldliketopresent(maximumofoneoralpaperperregistrant).OnlypapersthathaverelevancetoAustralia/NewZealandandtheSouthPaci�icregion,includingAntarctica,willbeacceptedfororalpresentation.

RichardMcKenzie,Convenor

https://www.niwa.co.nz/atmosphere/uv


MetSocietyPhotoCompetition2013

Showusyourbestweatherorclimatephotoinour2013photocompetitionYOURASSIGNMENTYoucansubmitjustONEphotobyendofSeptember.Telluswhenandwhereitwastaken.InOctober,anyonecanvoteONCEforafavouriteentry,andfromthosewe'llpickthreewinners!TosubmitanentryEitheronlinefromhttp://bit.ly/12AC9q8(thismethodinvoves‘liking’ourFace-bookpage)[email protected],andrememberinincludeyourname,city,andacaptiondescribingdateandplaceofphoto.THEPRIZESFIRST"HomeintheHowlingWilderness"(reviewedinournextJournal)SECOND"TheNZWeatherBook"THIRD"MetServiceWeatherCalendar2014"RULESELIGIBILITYEntryisopentoanyindividualresidentinNewZealandoranymemberoftheNZMetSocietyfromanyothercountry.Onlyoneentryperperson.Toentersuccessfullybehonestinyourcaptionaboutwhereandwhenimagewastaken.Imagemustbeatruereproductionofwhattheviewercouldseeinasingleframeandnotblended,merged,modi�iedoren-hancedinanyway.Croppingandzoomingareallowed.INAPPROPRIATECONTENTObscene,provocativeorotherwisequestionablecontentwillberemoved.Were-tainsolediscretionastowhatconstitutesinappropriatecontent.RIGHTSByenteringthecontest,entrantsagreetohavetheirentrydisplayedontheMetSocietywebsiteornewsletterwithoutcharge.Wereservetherighttoremoveentries,withoutnotice,andforanyreason.Imageownersretainalltheirotherrights.VOTESDoneinOctoberonFacebookathttp://bit.ly/12AC9q8or,forthosenotonFacebook,viaemailtoinfo@metsoc.org.nz.Onlyonevoteperpersonisal-lowed.WINNERSaretobeannouncedattheMetSocietyConferenceandonourwebsitesinNov2013andalsoinournewsletterinDec2013.-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

http://bit.ly/12AC9q8

http://bit.ly/12AC9q8


NOTABLEWEATHERINNZ:AUTUMN2013BenTichborne

The season began with a continuing very dry spell, with summery weather continuingthroughmuchofMarch.However, conditionsbecamemoreunsettledduringAprilandMaywithmoretroughsandlowsbringwetweatherandrelievingthedroughtconditionsinmostareas. Temperatures remained generally warmer than average until a very cold outbreakusheredinwinterinlateMay.

MARCH1st-Verywarminseveralareas,especiallyintheBayofPlenty.30CmaximumsinTauranga,TePuke,andMasterton,29CinTurangi,28CinRotorua,and26CatArthursPass.(TePuke,Rotorua,andTurangiarenewMarchrecordhighs)4th-30CmaximuminGisborne.WesterlygalesinexposedsoutheasternpartsofNorthIsland,e.g.135km/hrgustatCapeTurnagain.8th-30CmaximuminHanmer.11th-VerywarminmanyNorthIslandandnorthwesternSouthIslandareas.NewMarchrec-ordsbrokeninRuakura,Hamilton(32C),Taumaranui(32C),Reefton(30C),andPaeroa(29C).Theheat isa result in sunshineanda light,Foehneasterly. (a coolersoutherlyspreadsupeasternareaslater)14th/15th-VerywarminsouthernandinlandeasternSouthIsland.32CmaximuminWaiau(14th), 30C at TaraHills (15th) 28C at Nugget Point. (14th - newMarch record) Unusuallywarmminimumsaswell,e.g.anewMarchrecord16CinLumsden.17th-Firstsigni�icantraininoveramonthdevelopsinmanyareas,astroughmovesontoNZ.SomemoderatelyheavyfallsininlandSouthIsland,e.g.29mmatTaraHills,and28mminAl-exandra.18th-Welcomeraininmanyareas,withheavyfallsaboutsouthwestNorthIslandandnorth-westofSouth Island.However, stillnotenough tobreakdroughtconditions inmanyareas.Rainisaccompaniedbythunderstorms,includingonewherestrongwindsfelledtreesintheNelsonregion.AtornadodamagespropertyinNewPlymouth.VerywarminnorthandeastofNorthIsland;maximumsincluding34CinGisborne,33CinNapier,31CinWairoa,30CinMa-hia,and29CinWhangarei.(bothNapierandMahiaarenewMarchrecords)OhakunerecordsarecordhighMarchminimumof18C.However,acoolsoutherlycoversSouthIsland,withon-ly12CmaximumsinDunedinandQueenstown.19th -Heavyovernight rain insouthwestNorth Islandcausesslips inManawatuGorgeandsurface�loodinginWellingtonregion.RathercoldsoutherlyoverSouthIsland,spreadingontoNorthIslandduringtheday.UnusuallylowmaximumsinCanterbury,e.g.only10CinWaiau,and11CinCheviotandAshburton.LightsnowonSouthIslandMountains.20th-LightfrostsinmanySouthIslandareasinwakeofdepartedsoutherly.0CminimumsatDunedinAirport,MtCook,andManapouri.31st-ThunderstormsonSouthIslandWestCoast,withatornadodamagingbuildingsinthecentreofHokitika.SomelateafternoonthunderstormsalsoinSouthOtago.Warm29Cmaxi-mumsinNapierandHastings,thankstonorthwesterly�low.

APRIL1st-3rd-Unusuallywarminmanynorthernandcentralareas.April recordmaximumsrec-ordedon1stinGisborne(31C)andLeigh(27C),on2ndatMotu(22C),andon3rdinHastingsandWaione.(both28C)7th-Only13CmaximuminMasterton,underacoolsoutherly�low.9th - Thunderstorms inManawatu,Wanganui, Taranaki,HawkesBay, andBayof Plenty, ascoldfront(followedbyacoolsoutherly�low)crossestheNorthIsland.Thestormsbring�lash�loodstopartsofHawkesBay.10th-UnseasonablycoldandfrostystarttothedayinmanypartsofSouthIsland,especially


OtagoandSouthland,duetoanticycloneinwakeofsoutherly�low.-6CminimuminRanfurly,-4CatDunedinAirport,Balclutha(newAprilrecord),andInvercargill.11th-ColdmorninginmanypartsofNorthIslandwithfrosts inmanyinlandareas,e.g.-2CminimuminTaumaranui13th-HeavyrainabouttheTararuas.14th-Warm25CmaximuminHastings.15th-Fogdisrupts�lighttoandfromInvercargillandBlenheimairports.15th/16th-Heavyrainandnortheasterlygales inNorthland(15th),due todeep low to thenorthwest.Windscausesomedamageandpower-cuts.88mmrecordedinKerikeriand70mmin Kerikeri. Heavy rain and northeasterly gales elsewhere in the north of North Island on16th,withsome�loodinginAuckland.ThegalesripaboatfromitsmooringsinTaurangaHar-bourontorocks.Furthersouth,however, theFoehnnortheasterlyalsogivessummery tem-peraturesinsouthwestofNorthIslandon16th,witha27CmaximuminWhanganuiand25CinOhakune.17th-Cloudcoverandawarmnortheasterly�low,resultinunusuallywarmovernightmini-mumsinmanypartsofNorthIsland.Gisborne’s20CminimumisanewAprilrecord,whileotherwarmlowsinclude18CinLevin,17CinTaumaranui,Masterton,andParaparaumu,and16CinStratford.SomeheavyrainaboutcentralNZ,withaslipblockinganaccessroadintoKahurangiNationalPark.19th-23rd-Unsettledperiod,includingdestructivedownpoursinwesternBayofPlentyandNelsonregions.(seedetailsbelow)24th-ThunderstormoverAuckland,withaspectacularlightningdisplay.30th-Bandofheavyrain,includingsomethunderstormswithhailinmidCanterbury.Surface�loodingaffectspartsofChristchurch,forcingacentralcitymalltocloseforatime.

MAY3rd-UnseasonablywarminNorthland,thankstoanortherlyair�low.Leigh’s23CmaximumisanewMayrecord,whileKerikerialsorecords23CandKaikohe22C.4th-7th-LowcrossingNZresultinginstormyweatherinmanyareas.(seedetailsbelow)8th-ThunderstormswithheavyraininNorthland,causing�loodinginBayofIslands.9th-ThickfoginChristchurchclosesairportuntilearlyafternoon10th-ColdsoutherlyoverSouthIsland,withfreshsnowonthehighcountry.ChainsneededbymotoristsonLindisPassandCrownRangeroads.SoutherlyspreadsontolowerNorthIs-landinafternoon.12th -Warmthreturns toeast ofSouth Islandunderananticyclonicwesterly �low,e.g.23CmaximumsinCheviot,TimaruandChristchurchAirport,22CinKaikoura,20CatleBonsBay,and17CatArthursPass..13th-Warm inmanyareasofboth islands.24Cmaximums inGisborneandHastings.MoturecordsnewMaymaximumof21C,asdoesTaraHillswith22C.Othersummerhighsinclude23CinHamilton,21CinRotoruaandMahia,21CinOhakune,and20CatTekapo.14th-Warmspellcontinues,witha23CmaximuminBlenheim,and22CinTePuke.15th-Stillunseasonablywarminmanyplaces,e.g.22CmaximumsinTaurangaandWhanga-nui.FogdisruptseveningoperationsatWellingtonAirport.20th-MorningfoginChristchurchdisruptsairportoperations.21st-ThunderstormsbringssomeheavydownpoursinAuckland.FunnelcloudsseeninMa-nukauHarbour.26th - Strong disturbedwest to southwest �lowwith gales in several areas. Power outagescaused by the wind in Wairarapa and coastal Southland. Wind gusts reach 170 km/hr atSouthwest Cape, Stewart Island (a new May record), and 143 km/hr at Puysegur Point. Awarm21CmaximuminGisborne,butbecomingcolderinthefarsouthwithsnowonthehills.27th-29th-Wintryblastbringssnowtomanyareas.(seedetailsbelow)30th-Heavyfrostsinmanyareasinwakeofpreviousdays’coldoutbreak.The-7CatMotuisa


newMayrecord,whileWhakatane’s-2CisanequalrecordMaylow.Othericyminimumsin-clude-4CinTurangiand-2CinRotorua.31st-HeavyraininFiordland,e.g.124mmatMilfordSound.BigtemperaturejumpinMaster-tonfromafrosty-2Cminimumtoan18Cmaximumunderawesterly�low.

MAJOREVENTS

19th-23rdApril-Unsettledperiod,includingdestructivedownpoursinnorthernNorthIslandandNelsonregions

AlargeandcomplexlowpressuresystempersistedintheTasmanSeaduringthisperiod,withclashesofcoldsoutheasterlyandwarmnortherlyairmassesonitseasternsidebringingwet,unsettledweathertomanyareasofNZ.Theworstweatherduringthisperiodwerethedam-agingdownpoursthataffectedthewesternBayofPlentyonthe20thandNelsonlateonthe21st.

Acomplexlowpressuresystem,whichhaddevelopedoverthepreviousday,coveredmostoftheTasmanSeaon the19thandremainedslowmoving through to the21st.Meanwhile,ontheeasternsideofthelow,warmmoistairfromthenorthspreaddownontothenorthIsland.However,atthesametime,coldersouthtosoutheast�lowspreadoversouthernandcentralNZ.

Thewarmnortherlyairwasunstableenough to result in thunderstorms inmanynorthernareas. Downpours caused �lash �looding inHamilton and thewestern Bay of Plenty on the20th/21st,withmanyproperties inundatedandroadsclosed inbothareas.69mmwasrec-ordedinHamiltononthe21st.Thereweremorethan100FireServicecallouts for �loodingdamagetopropertiesinTaurangaandMtMaunganui.AtornadoalsocausedsomedamageinRaglan,includingbringingdownatree.

Furthersouth,theclashofthesetwoairmassesresultedinevenmoreviolentdownpoursintheNelsonregion.WorstaffectedweretheNelsonsuburbsofRichmondandStoke,wherethetorrential rain �looded anddamaged roads andproperties in oneof themost intense rain-stormseverrecordedinNZ.Carshadtobeabandoned,aftertheoccupantswererescuedfromthe�loodwaters.Thehighestonehourtotalrecordedwas101mmatacatchmentsiteinlandfromRichmond(believedtobeaoncein500yearevent),whiletheTasmanDistrictCouncilof�icesiteinRichmondrecordeda24hourtotalof224mm.Nelson’s122mmwasanewAprilrecord,whileMotuekawasdrenchedby116mm.

Thecold,dampsoutheasterly�lowbroughtwetweathertotheeastoftheSouthIslandonthe19th/20th (80mmrecorded inMethvenover the twodayperiod),withsnowon theranges(�lurriesreportedaslowastopofPortersPass)andmaximumtemperaturesaboutonly10CinmanypartsofCanterburyandOtago.GaleslashedtheWestCoast.

Fromthe21st-23rd,thelowpressuresystemgraduallymovedfromtheTasmanSeatocovertheSouthIsland,withanorthwest�lowaffectingnorthernandcentralareas.Itremainedun-settled,withfurtherthunderstormsinthenorthandwest,buttheweatherwaslessextremethanbefore.

Meansea-levelanalyses formiddayNZST19thApril tomiddayNZST23rdApril in12hourstepsareshownhere.



4th-7thMay-LowcrossesNZ,resultinginstormyweatherinmanyareas

Adeeplowpressuresystemcrossedthecountryduringthisperiod,bringingstormyweathertomanyareas.

Duringthe4th,alowtothewestofNorthland,whichhadalreadybroughtunsettledweathertonorthernareas,wasinvigoratedbyanadvancingtroughmovinginfromthesouthTasmanSea.Awarmnortheasterly�lowcoveredNZ,withunseasonablyhightemperaturesinsomear-eas,with21C-23CmaximumsinsouthwestofNorthIsland,a24CmaximuminWaiau,and22CinAshburton.Frontsonthelow’seasternsideresultedinheavydownpoursinAuckland.

Overnight4th/5th,as the troughmovedonto theSouth Islandand then combinedwith thelowtocreateamuchdeeperlowpressuresystemcentredtothewestofcentralNZduringthe5th. Fronts in its northern and eastern sidebrought someheavy falls of rain and thunder-storms tonorthern andwestern areas.Northwesterlywinds reached gale in exposedareas(Kaikoherecorded76km/hr),withseveregustscausingsomedamageinpartsofAuckland.

Meanwhile, a strong, cold southeasterly �low developed over the lower South Island, withheavyraininOtagoandSouthlandandsnowonthehighcountryaboveabout700m.Totalsof53mmwererecordedatDunedinAirportand35mminLumsden.

Duringthe6th,thelowmovedontotheNorthIsland,withstormyweatheraffectingmanyare-as.Therewasacoldersouthtosoutheast�lowovertheSouthIslandandlaterthelowerNorthIsland.Heavyraincausedsurface �looding inChristchurch,with64mmrecorded inLincolnand 41mm in the central city. Further north, the cold change resulted inheavy rainwhichbrought�loodinginMarlboroughandWellington,aseverethunderstormcrossingthe latter


area.AbasementcarparkwasinundatedinNewtown,andlightningsplitapinetree inPe-tone.SnowfellontheSouthIslandhighcountryandski-�ields,with20cmrecordedatMtHutt.LeesoutheasterlygaleslashedWestland.

Overnight6th/7th,thelowmovedofftheNorthIsland,withalightersoutherly�lowaffectingNZduringthe7thandconditionseasingoverthecountry.

Meansea-levelanalysesformiddayNZST4thMaytomiddayNZST7thMayin12hourstepsareshownhere.


27th-29thMay-Wintryblastwithsnowinmanyareas

Withjustafewdaysuntiltheof�icialstartofwinter,averycoldoutbreakbroughtsnowtolowlevelsinpartsoftheSouthIslandandhillandhighcountryofthecentralandlowerNorthIs-land,causingdisruptionespeciallyinthesouthernSouthIsland.

A cool, disturbedwest to southwest �low coveredNZ on the27th. During the day, the �lowtendedmuchcoldersouth tosouthwestover the lowerSouth Island, spreadingover there-mainderoftheislandintheevening.Snowfellonthehighcountry,affectingalpinepassesandreachedlowlevelsinthefarsouthlater.SomerecordlowMaymaximumswererecordedinBalclutha(3C),Haast(5C),andSecretaryIsland.(5C)

By the28th,adisturbedandverycoldsouth tosouthwest �low covered thewholecountry.Snow fell to sea-level inOtago and Southland, blanketingDunedinwith roads closed in thecity’s hill suburbs and thenorthernmotorway,many schools closed, and airport �lights de-layed.Manyruralroadswerebadlyaffected,someclosedwhileothersrequiredchains.Heavyseasgeneratedbythestormdamagedthesea-wallatStClairBeach,Dunedin.Furthernorth,Canterburywaslessaffected,buthailandsnowfelltonearsea-levelonBanksPeninsulaandlaterinChristchurch.Manypeninsularoadswereclosedbynightfall.

In theNorth Island, snowclosedroads later in theday in thecentralplateau, theRimutakaHill Road, and some rural roads in inland Taranaki. Hailwas alsowidespread,with an icycoating forcing cancellation of two train service inWellington.Gales in the city damaged awindowof anof�iceblock,whileheavy seaspreventedCook Strait Ferry crossings.Furthernorth,snowcoatedbothMtPirongiaandMtTarawera,andmadeconditionsmarginalonSH2


betweenWairoaandGisborne.

Eventhefarnorthwasbitterlycoldwithsouthwesterlygales,thunderandhailshowers.SleetwasevenreportedontheWaitakereRanges,westofAuckland.Twotornadoeswerereported-atPortWaikatoandWhangape(northofHokianga)-bothcausingpropertydamage.Windgustsreached152km/hratCapeReingaand102km/hrinKaitaia.LightningfatallydamagedaNorfolkpineinMissionBay,Auckland.

Notsurprisinglydaytimetemperatureswereverycoldthroughoutthecountry.NewMayrec-ordswerebrokenatmanyNorthIslandstationsincludingCapeReinga(11C),Kaikohe(10C),Whangarei (10C),Whitianga (9C), Castlepoint (5C), andOhakune (2C).Only fromAucklandnorthwardsdidtemperaturesriseabove10C,andeventheretheyweredowntoabout6-7Cbylateafternoon.

Conditionseasedquicklybythemorningofthe29th,butitremainedcold.Wheretheweatherhadclearedtherewereheavyfrosts.NewrecordMayminimumswererecordedinKerikeri(2C),Whangaparaoa(4C),andCastlepoint.(2C)

Meansea-levelanalysesformiddayNZST27thMaytomiddayNZST29thMayin12hourstepsareshownhere.


MONTHLYWEATHERNOTESFORCHRISTCHURCH:AUTUMN2013

MARCHThismonth is traditionally regardedas the �irstmonthofautumn,but thisyear it feltas ifsummer continued for another month. Anticyclones predominated, with generally settledweathermostofthetime.Northeasterlywindspredominated,whichresultedinslightlybe-lownormalsunshineandoftencloudydays,buttherewasonlyonespellwithanysigni�icantprecipitation. This was from the 17th-19th, when a trough crossed NZ followed by a coolsoutherly�lowonthe18thand19th.AlightdustingofsnowfellontheAlpsonthe19th.Afterthesoutherlydiedoutatnightonthe19th,itbecamecoldenoughforlightfrostsinland.

APRILAchangeinweatherpatternswasnoticeablethismonth,withseverallowsandtroughsbring-ingmorerainand less sunshine thannormal.However, therainwasconcentrated ina fewevents. Damp onshore �low brought wet conditions to the city and surrounds on the20th/21st,butmorespectacularwasthedownpouronthe30thwhenthunderstormsresultedin �lash �looding in many southern and central parts of Christchurch. Temperatures werewarmerthannormal, thankstocloudinesskeepingminimumswellabovenormal.However,thethermometer�luctuatedduringthemonth.Coolsoutherlieskeptdaytimemaximumsbe-lowaverageformanydaysduringthe�irstpartofthemonth,andagainfromthe16th-22ndandthe30th.SnowdustedtheAlpsduringtheseoccasions,andtherewasafrostonthemorn-ingofthe10th.Bycontrast,thereweresomewarmspellsinwesterlyandnorthwesterly�lowsonthe2nd,11th,14th/15th,and24th-19th.

MAYTroughsandlowpressuresystemswereevenmoreprominentagainthismonth,whichwasnotableforthewintryblasttowardstheend.Southerliesweremorefrequentthanusual,butthecloudinessmeantthatmildernightscompensatedforcoolerdays,resultinginnearnor-maltemperatures.Heavyraincausedsurface�loodinginpartsofthecityonthe6th,thisdaycontributedsigni�icantlytoawetterthannormalmonth.Snowfellontheinlandhighcountryduringthe6thand23rd,withsomehailinChristchurchon the latter occasion, but a very cold southerly outbreakon the28thbroughtmorewide-spreadlow-levelsnow.SnowbeganfallingonBanksPeninsulaandinlandduringtheeveningofthe27th.Hailandsleetfellinpartsofthecityduringtheafternoon,butsnowandhailfellmoreintenselyduringtheevening,settlinglightlyonthe�lats,withmoresigni�icantcoatingsonthePortHills.

BenTichborne


StarvingstockcasesreportedasdroughtlingersMATHEWGROCOTT03/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/8503962/Starving-stock-cases-reported-as-drought-lingers

ROBERT KITCHIN/Fairfax NZ HARD GOING: Federated Farmers has heard of isolated cases of cows losing too much condition during the drought. Drought-hit farmersneedtokeeptrackoftheirherd'scon-ditionbeforetheirstockdropstoomuchweight,saysadairyindustryleader.Withlittlerainacrossmuchofthecountrylastmonth,farm-ersandtheiranimalshavehadlittlerespitetofarmers,andisolatedcasesofstockinpoorconditionhavebeenreportedasaresult.(Abridged)-©FairfaxNZNews

Thebigdry:AdroughtinteractivemapHARKANWALSINGH12/03/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/8412757/The-big-dry-A-drought-interactive-map

Theinteractivemapbelowshowshowrainhasvaried in themonths of January andFebruaryoverthepast10years.Italsorevealshowseverethedroughtiswhencomparedtotheonein2008.We'vevisualisedonlytwomonthsofdatafrom77 weather stations over 10 years to keep itclear.The complete data set is available for down-loadatthebottomofthepage.Intheinstanceswherethelinesaremissinginthechart,theda-taisnotavailable.ThedatawasobtainedfromNIWAwebsite.KeithNghascalculatedthepercentagechangeforJanu-ary

and February this year compared to the past �iveyears. A colour-coded map showing the percentagechangeisbelow.Percentage change in January and February 2013comparedwithpast�iveyears.Theredmarkerisfor-100to-66.66,theyellowisfor-66.66 to -33.33, the green for -33.33 to 0 and theblueforanypositivepercentage

NIWA's latest soil moisture chart - variationfromnormalRuralNews March9,2013–http://www.interest.co.nz/rural-news/63502/niwas-latest-soil-moisture-chart-variation-normal

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Rainwatch,March11:Isthereany?STACEYKIRK11/03/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8408027/Rain-watch-The-drought-continues

Penny McIntyre

Paddocks at Westport's Carters Beach area - normally lush and green.

Carl Knight's Rangitikei property in December 2012 and now, looking north.WarmdryconditionscausingfarmersheadachesarealsoputtingtheFireServiceonalertasthepossibilityofscrub�iresincrease.MostoftheNorthIslandisinastateofdroughtandtheSouthIslandislittlebetter.Forfarmers,thecountry'srecord-breaking�ineweatherisadisas-ter.(Abridged)

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RainforcesdrawatBasinReserveMondayMarch18,2013 Source:ONESport/Reutershttp://tvnz.co.nz/cricket-news/rain-forces-draw-basin-reserve-5371637

Rain falls on Basin Reserve - Source: Pho-tosportWellington's weather has had the �inalsay in the second Test between NewZealand and England at the Basin Re-serve.The match ended as a draw when theumpires ruled that no play would bepossibleon the �ifthand �inaldayafterraincontinuedtofallinthecapital.Much of Sunday's fourth day was alsowashed out after lunch as intermittentrainshowerssweptacross theWelling-ton region resulting in a near farcicalsituation as the umpires cleared thegroundforplaythreetimes,onlyforthe

raintoreturnandforcefurtherdelays.(Abridged)

WorldMeteorologicalDayandNZ'srolewithWMOFriday,22March2013http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC1303/S00036/world-meteological-day-and-nzs-role-with-wmo.htmWorldMeteorologicalDayiscelebratedeveryyearonthe23rdofMarch,markingtheanni-versaryoftheformationoftheWorldMeteorologicalOrganization(WMO)in1950.TheWMOisaspecialisedagencyoftheUnitedNationsthatbringstogethernationalmeteorologicalandhydrological servicesaround theglobe.191MemberStatesandTerritoriesbelong toWMOwithitsnewestmember,SouthSudan,joininginDecember2012.NewZealandisrepresentedattheWMObyPeterLennox,theChiefExecutiveofMetService.As Permanent Representative (PR)withWMO,Mr Lennox is New Zealand's single point ofcontactwithwhomtheWMOSecretariatinGenevastaysintouchregardingweather,hydrolo-gyorclimaterelatedmatters. InNewZealand thePR is responsiblenot just forMetServiceparticipationinWMOprogrammesandactivities,butalsoforcoordinatingWMOmatterswithotherNewZealandorganisationssuchastheNationalInstituteofWaterandAtmosphericRe-search(NIWA).NewZealandplaysakeyroleincontributingtotheWMOVoluntaryCooperationProgramme,through MetService's support of Paci�ic Island meteorological programmes. Twelve Met-Servicestaffaredirectly involvedwithWMOmatterssuchasthis, inadditiontotheirotherduties.MetServiceoperatesinaccordancewithWMOrequirements,includinginvestinginspeci�ica-tionsandtrainingrequiredtomeetWMOstandardsandcerti�ication.Thisincludesgenerat-ingNewZealand'sownpoolofmeteorologicaltalent.Every2-3yearsMetServicerunsa41-weektrainingprogrammetotrainmathematicsorphysicsgraduatestomeetWMOrequire-mentsforgraduatemeteorologists.ThesegraduatesbecomepartofMetService'sforecastingoperations, along with internationally-recruited expertise, tomaintain a well-rounded andhighlyskilledforecastingteam.Thetitleofthisyear'sWorldMeteorologicalDayisWatchingtheweathertoprotect lifeandproperty and focuses attentionon the crucial 24/7 role ofmeteorological andhydrologicalservices in improving human safety and safeguarding society against hazards like �loods,tropicalcyclonesanddroughts."Thegrowingimpactofweatherextremescannotbeignored.Overthelast30yearsnatural

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disasterstookthelivesofover2millionpeopleandproducedeconomiclossesestimatedatover 1.5 trillion US dollars," said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-GeneralMichelJarraud."Almost90percentofsuchdisasters,morethan70percentofthecasualtiesandalmost80percentoftheeconomic losseswerecausedbyweather-,climate-orwater-relatedhazards.""Muchmoremust,andcan,bedonetoallayhumansuffering.Tropicalcyclones,heavyrain-falls and �loods, droughts and cold and heatwaves affect the entireworld, alerting us tosomeoftheworstimplicationsofgrowingclimatevariabilityandchange,"MrJarraudsaid."Weatherandclimateearlywarningsanddisasterriskreductionarecentraltoanysustain-able development.WorldMeteorological Day 2013 is a unique occasion to reinforce thismessageandtore�lectonpastachievements,takestockofwhatstillneedstobedoneandtorecommittobuildingonthelegacyofWorldWeatherWatch,"hesaid.As New Zealand's designated National Meteorological Service with WMO,MetService hasclear and considerable responsibilities around the dissemination of accurate and timelyweatherinformationtothosewhoneedit.MetService delivers New Zealand's authorised meteorological warning service,issuingWarningsandWatchesandOutlookswhensevereweather-strongwinds,heavyrain,heavysnowfallorthunderstorms-islikelytoaffectNewZealand.Thisserviceispartofthecoun-try's National Civil Defence EmergencyManagement Plan. The SevereWeather Team is agroupofhighly-experiencedmeteorologistswithspecialisedexpertiseindealingwithbothbroad-scaleandlocal-scalesevereweather.

First drought declaredonWestCoastMICHAEL WRIGHT22/03/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/8479713/First-drought-declared-on-West-Coast

Richard Reynolds DRY-LANDS: Extraordinary scenes on the usually green West Coast pastures of Richard Reynolds' Bar-rytown farm, about 25km north of Greymouth. Droughthasbeenbeende-

claredforthe�irsttimeintheBullerandGreydistricts.PrimaryIndustriesMinisterNathanGuymadethecalltodayafterameetingoffarmersinGreymouth,wheretheyaskedforanof�icialdeclaration.Littlerainwasforecastforthenextfortnight.(Abridged)-©FairfaxNZ

Frequencyofdroughtsforecasttodouble25March2013http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/131226/frequency-of-droughts-forecast-to-doubleNiwa'schiefclimatescientistsaysone-in-20-yeardroughtsarelikelytodoubleinfrequencyinmanypartsofthecountrybythe2080s.DavidWratt saysdroughts are likely to becomemore frequent as the centuryprogressesandthehigh-pressurebeltsinthesubtropicsexpandfurthersouthandencompassNewZea-land.Niwa scientists say they believe the North Island's drought is the worst since the early1970s.(Abridged)

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Rainforecasttorelieveparchedfarmshttp://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/131720/rain-forecast-to-relieve-parched-farms1April2013AstateofdroughthasbeendeclaredfortheNorthIslandandtheBullerandGreyDistrictsoftheWestCoastoftheSouthIsland.NIWAsayspartsoftheNorthIslandarethedriesttheyhavebeenin70years.MetService forecasterHordurThordarsonsaysrain forecast forTuesdayandFridayshouldbringreliefforfarmersontheWestCoast,andinHawke'sBayandGisborne."Thankfully, it looksas though there'spotential for furthermobile frontsand lows tomoveacrossthecountrytobringrainandeventuallyhopefullybreakthedrought."MrThordarsonsaystherainisasignalthattheweatherisreturningtothenormalpatternforthistimeoftheyear

Rainbringsrelieffordrought-hitWestCoastWednesdayApril03,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rain-brings-relief-drought-hit-west-coast-5393274FarmersontheSouthIsland'sWestCoastarecelebratingafterseveraldaysofraininthere-gion.

But despite the bout ofwet weather in thedrought-hit region therural community is waryof the tough wintermonthsahead.Droughtwasof�iciallyde-clared in the Buller andGrey districts almost afortnightago.Westport, themain townin Buller, received only32millimetres of rain inMarch, just a quarter ofthemonth'saverage.

MetService �igures show the townwas dry for a fortnight until yesterdaywhen it received3.8mm,andearlytodayitpickedupaboutanother15mm.Incontrast,HokitikaatthetopofWestland,furthersouth,pickedup60mminthepastthreedays,althoughitwasdryformuchofMarchandreceivedlessthana�ifthofitsusualFebruaryrainfall.Milnesaidthatatherplace, inlandnearLakeBrunner,areasonablysteady,gentlerainwasfallingthismorning. "Todaywehavetheminister(forprimaryindustriesNathanGuy)heretolookatoursituation,"shesaid."Thatalwaysseemstomakeitrain."(Abridged)

SouthernAlpssnowafalsestarttowinterNICOLEMATHEWSON08/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8520387/Southern-Alps-snow-a-false-start-to-winterThesuddenappearanceofsnowontheSouthernAlpsthisweekendmayhavemadeitseemlikewinteriscomingearly,butthereisnoneedtodusttheskibootsoffjustyet,MetServicesays.MtHuttreceivedasmallamountofsnowovertheweekendastemperaturesplungedacrossCanterburyandclockswereturnedbackanhour.MetService forecasterAndyDownssaidabrisk, coldsoutherly �low couldbringsomemorebriefsnowtothehighestpartsofCanterburyandOtagotomorrow,butnosigni�icantamounts

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wereexpected.Downssaidshortcoldsnapswerecommonatthistimeofyear,butitdidnotmeanwinterwashereyet.(Abridged)

Herecomesthedrought-breakerTOMHUNTANDNICOLEPRYOR08/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8521526/Here-comes-the-drought-breakerA "game-changing" low brewing in the Tasman Sea should bringheavy rain tomost of thecountrynextweek.Cominginfromthenorth,therain-makingsystemwouldmainlyhittheBayofPlenty,North-land,andthewestcoastoftheSouthIsland,saidMetservice'sStephenGlassey."MostofNewZealandshouldgetsomerainwiththesystem.GenerallytheselowsthatcomefromtheNorthTasmanseadoproduceheavyfallsinplacesexposedtothenorth,"hesaid."Ithasthepotentialtohaveheavyrain,especiallywestofthemainranges."ClimatescientistJimSalingercalledthesystema"drought-breaker"."Itwill certainlybeagame-changerandcertainlyprovidedecentrainfall fortheareasthathavebeencryingoutforit,"hesaid.-©FairfaxNZNews(Abridged)

NewZealandbillboardboastsrealtimeweatherupdatesByJONATHANWHITELAW09thApril2013http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/4871469/New-Zealand-billboard-boasts-real-time-weather-updates.html

CRYSTAL CLEAR ... The Met-Service billboard shows passers by in Auckland up to the second weather updates AWEATH-ER fore-caster inNewZea-land hasprovidedtheworld’s

mostaccurate,realtimeweatherservice–agiantbillboardwithaholeinit.WeatherinformationcompanyMetServiceboastthemostup-to-dateweathermonitoringser-viceintheworld,withpassersbyinAucklandlookinguptotheframethat’smadetolooklikeawebpage,showingtheskybeyond.Speaking of the new ad, MetService's General Manager of Communications, Jacqui Bridgessaid:"Wejustputupthebillboardandwatchedwhathappened...itde�initelywentviral!"Theuniqueapproachtoforecastingweatherhasbecomeahitonline,withonecommenteronthecompany'sfacebookpagesaying:"Loveit!!"

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MetServiceboostscityforecastsFridayApr12,2013http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877039

Photo / Greg Bowker MetServicesaysitsweatherforecastsforAuck-landwillbeimprovedwiththeannouncementyesterdayof a "substantial" investment and anew team of meteorologists in the country'slargestcity.The weather bureau will ramp up its opera-tions in Auckland, with former Niwa climatescientist Georgina Grif�iths leading the teamstartingattheendofthemonth.MetServicemanager RamonOosterkamp saidhe could not say the exact value of the Auck-

landinvestmentexceptthatitwas"substantial"andwouldnumberupto�ivemeteorologistsbynextyear.MrOosterkampsaidtheinvestmentimprovedMetService'sfocusonAucklandandwouldal-lowthebureautoworkcloselywiththecouncil.MetServicewouldbebetterplaced tooffer instant informationboth ingeneralandalso formajorweatherevents,suchastheHobsonvilletornadolastyearthatkilledthreepeople.Theteamwillwork sevendays aweekand is set to bebasednext to CivilDefence inBledisloeHouseinthecity." ... it was important to be able to provide on-the-spot meteorological expertise to assist[AucklandCouncil's]targetedresponseplanning,"MrOosterkampsaid.-APNZ

Fieldaystogettopforecasts

14May2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/�ieldays/8668725/Fieldays-to-get-top-forecastsNiwasaysitwillprovideastate-of-the-artweatherforecastingservicefortheFieldaysatMys-teryCreeknextmonth.Niwaistheof�icialweatherforecasterfortheFieldaysandforallmajorMysteryCreekeventstakingplaceduringthenextthreeyears.Chief atmosphere scientistMurrayPoulter said sophisticated computer forecastingmodelswouldgenerateweatherforecastsforMysteryCreekuptosixdaysahead.(Abridged)

FarmersbattleconditionsMondayApril15,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/more-rain-needed-farmers-battle-conditions-5406452Rain experienced across thecountry in the last few dayswill not be enough to breakthe drought as farmers grap-plewithanotherproblem.Af-terbattlingthroughalong,drysummerfarmersarenowhav-ingtocopewithfacialeczema

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outbreaksamongtheirewes.

Alan Swanson's paddocks in Horowhenua are greener than they have been in months but some of his ewes have contracted facial eczema, spurred on by the prolonged drought. "Thepasturethat'savailableforthestockisalotless,sothey'vegottograzedownclosertothe boards," rural vet Hugh Bentall said. "And thatmeans they'remore at risk of pickingthosesporesup."The disease has added pressure on farmers battling theworst drought period in about 70years.TheentireNorthIsland,pluspartsoftheWestCoast,areof�icialdroughtzones.Theprolongeddroughtisexpectedtocostthecountry$2billion.(Anridged)

Drought-breakingrainonhorizonhttp://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/news/drought-breaking-rain-on-horizon/1829545/

JohnCousins15thApr2013

The drought which has sucked nearly $28 million out of the pockets of Bay of Plenty dairy farmers could be over.Thedroughtwhichhassuckednearly $28 million out of thepocketsofBayofPlentydairyfarmerscouldbeover.MetService forecasts ofdrought-breaking rain thisweek, starting with heavydownpourstonight,havebeengreeted with relief by theBay's long-suffering farmers

andorchardists.John Scrimgeour, Federated FarmersBayof Plentyprovincial president, called the forecast"absolutelygreat"."Farmershavebeenanxiouslywatchingtheweatherforsometime.Thereisasenseofoptimismintheair.Itwillgivewaytoreliefoncetherainarrives."(Abridged0

AucklandhomeslipsinheavyrainByKieranCampbell@KieranCampbellTuesdayApr16,2013http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877820AGreyLynnhomehasbeenevacuatedafteritpartlysubsidedduringheavyrainthismorning.SomeareasofAucklandhavealsoreportedly�loodedbecauseoftherain,withsurface�lood-ingonMayoralDrive.Expertsexpecttherainthisweekwillbringrelieftodrought-strickenfarmers.Gustsofupto90km/hbuffetedNorthlandyesterdayasthesub-tropical lowfromthenorthTasmanSeabegantomoveoverthecountry.The largest fallswereatKerikeriwith62mmandKaikohewith40mm,while severalotherplacesreceived20-30mm,MetServiceforecasterOliverDrucesaid.-APNZ(Abridged)

Daysofrain�ittingstartforautumnSTACEYKIRK16/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8557415/Days-of-rain-�itting-start-for-autumnItseemsanagesincesummerstartedwitharare10daysofsunshine,soitisonly�ittingthatautumn�inallygetsgoingwith10daysofrain.MetServicehaspredictedamixofshowersandheavydownpoursformanycentresoverthe

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next10days.ForecasterDanielCorbettsaiditwouldnotbesolidrainfortheentire10days.Rather,therewouldbeintermittentshowersonsomedays,whileotherscouldhaveheavydownpours."Wehavealownowandthat'slikeaspinningoctopusthatwillsweepinandbringrainacrossmostofthecountry,"Corbettsaid.Hesaiditwassafetosaytheweatherwouldbe"unsettled"forthenext10days,althoughitwasdif�iculttosayhowaccurateforecastsbeyondSundaywerebecausetheywerejustcom-puter-generatedmodels.(Abridged)

PartsofNorthIslandhitbyheavyrainKIRSTYJOHNSTON20/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8575897/Torrential-rain-hammers-TaurangaRoadsareclosedandpeoplearebeingevacuatedasheavyrainhammerstheNorthIsland.TheFireServicereceivedabout100callsduringathreetofourhourperiodastorrentialrainsweptTaurangaearlytoday.Butwithheavyrainstillfallingtonight,�ire�ighterswereevacuatingtheWaihiBeachTop10ResortoverconcernsfortheWaihiStreamBridge.InTauranga,�loodinghasshutpartsofStateHighway36andSH2.Shortly before6ampolicewarned the rainwas causing signi�icant �lash �looding acrossMtMaunganui.MetService�iguresshowedaround75mmofrainfellinthetwohoursto6aminTauranga.Fire Service Tauranga senior station of�icer Phil Price said industrial buildings, shops andhouseshadbeen�looded,whilecarshadbeenpartiallysubmergedinpartsofMtMaunganui..-©FairfaxNZNews(Abridged)

Major�loodingaftertorrentialrainSaturdayApr20,2013http://www.nzherald.co.nz/weather/news/article.cfm?c_id=10&objectid=10878660

Stormwater has �looded the reserve near Carrington Drive in Papamoa. Photo / Heather McMillanResidents in Auckland, theWaikatoandBayofPlentyarebracing for another deluge af-ter torrential rain in the earlyhours of today caused major�looding to Bay of Plentyhomesandbusinesses.OnecasualtyoftheBayofPlen-ty �loodswas theFourNationshockey being played atMount

Maunganui.Thegamewassubjected toa torrentialdownpourwhich led toplaybetween theKiwisandKoreabeingcalledoff.MetServiceareforecastingfurtherthunderstormsandpossiblysmalltornadoes.About100homeswere�loodedthismorningandafurther200millimetresofrainisforecastforthewesternBayofPlenty.NewstalkZBreportsthatthecitycouncilishandingoutsandbagsinMountMaunganui'slowlyingareas."Wehaveheardthatthecouncilarehandingoutsandbagsinsomepartsaswell,becausetheyareexpectingmoreraininalotofthelow-lyingareas.-NewstalkZB/APNZ/WeatherWatch(Abridged)

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Flash�loodsacrossTasmanregionByMatthewTheunissenSundayApr21,2013http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878804

The Nelson area has been hit with the second highest rain-fall ever recorded in one hour.Flash �looding has occurredacross the Tasman regionwith roads closed, motoriststrappedandhomes�looded.Over the course of one hourthis evening, 104mm of rainlanded in the Upper Rodingcatchment and 100mm inStoke. The heaviest rain re-ceived within one hour onrecord was 109mm in Auck-land,CivilDefencesaid.

Therewereabandonedcarsonroadsthroughouttheaffectedareasandsomemotoristshadtoberescuedortowedtosafety.Police said theyweredealingwith ahighnumberof �looding reports in theRichmondandStokeareasandemergencyserviceswererespondingtoseveralincidents,includingstrandedvehiclesandproperty�looding.Somehouseshadbeen�loodedalready."Explosive"torrentialshowersandseverethunderstormsarepossibleovermuchoftheNorthIslandtoday,WeatherWatchsays.Theforecasterwastrackingareasofrainwhichitsaidweresimilartothosewhichcausedse-vere�loodinginpartsofBayofPlentyyesterday.InRaglan,asmalltornadobroughtdownatree,brokewindowsandhurledabarbecueontoaroofaboutmidday.RaglanConstableJeremyHolmesestimatedthetornadohadcauseddamageoveratwo-blockradius."Quietafewbigbrancheshavebeenbrokenoff,therewasachimneydownonaprop-erty,whichalsohadacoupleofpoppedwindows."MetServicemeteorologistJohnLawsaidthewetweathershouldcontinueovermuchofNewZealandthroughtheearlypartofnextweek.NewstalkZB-APNZ(Abridged)

RescuesastorrentialraindrenchesNelsonSundayApril21,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rescues-torrential-rain-drenches-nelson-5412971

Flooding in Richmond - Source: Dean Williams Car passengers have had to be rescued as stormscaused widespread �looding around Nelson thisevening.Emergency services have been dealing with a highvolume of �looding reports in the Richmond andStokeAreasinTasmanaftertorrentialrain.Vehicleshavebeenstrandedandpassengerseitherrescuedortowedtosafety.Threefamilieshaveself-




evacuated.Propertieshavealsobeen�loodedandtherehavebeenlandslidesreportedonsomeroadsin-cludingtheTakakaHillHighway.Thestormspassedthroughbetween5pmand6pm,andwhiletherainhaseasedfornow,CivilDefencesaysanotherrainbandisforecastfortheregiontonight.Duringthestorm,morethan100mmofrainwasrecordedinonehourinseveralareas-al-mostreachingrecord-breakingquantities.(Abridged)

WildweatherbattersNorthIslandhttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rescues-torrential-rain-drenches-nelson-5412971/videoSundayApril21,2013

Moreseverethunderstormsareexpected tonight after �loodingand a tornado ripped throughpartsoftheNorthIsland.

HeavyraincauseshavocinBayofPlentySundayApril21,2013ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/heavy-rain-causes-havoc-in-bay-plenty-5412745

Heavyrainhas�loodedhomes,strandedmotorists and caused landslips in theBay of Plenty as the region braces formoredownpours. Torrential rain over-night �looded homes and roads aroundWaihi, Waihi Beach, areas in the West-ernBayofPlenty,MountMaunganuiandPapamoaBeach.(Abridged)

MorerainexpectedforregionNICOLEMATHEWSON21/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/your-weather/8577891/More-rain-expected-for-region

Sam Manson Locksley Avenue, in Christchurch. Gumboots and umbrellas will continue to be the fashion of choice this week as rain continues to fall over Canterbury. About 25 to 30mm of rain has fallenover Christchurch since yesterdaymorning, and more rain could be ex-pected over the next few days, Met-Service duty forecaster Ian Gall said.Tekaporecordedabout23.8mm,while

Dar�ieldhad45mmandMethvenhadabout80mm-theregion'sheaviestrainfallthisweek-end.(Abridged)





Climatechangefuelstornadoes-NIWAWed,22May20133Newshttp://www.3news.co.nz/Climate-change-fuels-tornadoes---NIWA/tabid/1160/articleID/298680/Default.aspx#ixzz2XE7GMZSWSupertornadoes,suchastheonethat devastatedthetownofMooreinOklahomayesterday,arelikelytohappenmoreoftenastheworldwarmsaccordingtoNIWA.Yesterday's3km-widetwisterdestroyedalargepartofthetown,includingtwoschools,andkilledatleast24people.Withwindsreaching320km/h,ithasbeenratedalevelEF5tornado,themostdestructivethatexists.SpeakingonFirstlinethismorning,NIWAprincipalscientistMikeRevellsaidclimatemodelspointtomoretornadoeslikethisoneoccurringinthenext100years."Wehaverunourclimatemodelsoutfor100years,andthethingthatleadstothetornadoesisthelargethunderstorms,andtoproducetheseyouneedsomeenergy,"saysDrRevell."Whatwe'venoticedisinthe100-yearperiodbetweentheendofthelastcenturyandtheendofthecurrentcenturyisthattheavailablepotentialenergyforthunderstormsisgenerallyontherise,astheclimatewarmsup."Sopotentially,thethunderstormsthatdooccurcouldbemoreintense,andIguessit'sarea-sonableconclusiontodrawthattheassociatedtornadoescouldbestrongeraswell.""YouhavethecountryextendingallthewayfromtheGulfofMexicotothesouth,uptoCana-da, so you canbringwarm,moist airat low levels togetherwith cold, dry air fromaloft atabout the best possible arrangement you can, and that produces these super thunder-storms,whicharetheonesthatproducetheseverylargetornadoes."ThegeographyhereinNewZealandisquitedifferent,andthoughwedogettheoddtwister–particularlyalongthewesterncoast–atworstthey'reonlyhalfasstrongasyesterday'sEF5."They'retalkingaboutwindstrengthsof300,320km/hassociatedwiththeseOklahomator-nadoes.Moststructurescan'twithstandthatsortofstrengthwind."They'renotasstronginNewZealand–theoneswetypicallygetwouldbestrengthsofsome-wherebetween150and180km/h,thestrongeronesweget."Atornadoofsimilarsizeandstrengthtoyesterday'sonehitMoorein1999,killing36people.ThedeadliesttornadoinrecordedhistorystruckBangladeshin1989,killingabout1300peo-ple.

Nelsonresidentsfacecleanupafter�loodsMondayApril22,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nelson-residents-face-clean-up-after-�loods-5413379

Nelsonresidents faceamajorcleanupaf-ter a sudden deluge �looded propertiesandclosedroadslastnight.CivilDefencesaidmorethan90homeshadbeen evacuated in both Nelson and theneighbouring Tasman District as a resultofthedownpour.TheInsuranceCouncilofNewZealandsaid1500houseandcontentsclaimshadbeenmadeforbothregionssofar.(Abridged)

NewZealandfarmershappyasdelugebreaksdroughtByNickPerryApril22,2013http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-04-22/new-zealand-farmers-happy-as-deluge-breaks-droughtWELLINGTON,NewZealand(AP)—NewZealand'sfarmersarerelievedthatadelugehasend-edthecountry'smostwidespreaddroughtin30years.Rain continued to fall Monday in a downpour that has lasted three days overmuch of the

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http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013


country."It'sthelandofextremes,"saidDanielCorbett,ameteorologistwiththenationalagencyMet-Service.HesaidthecityofTaurangawassoakedwithmorethan21centimeters(8.3 inches)ofrainovertheweekend,whichcausedsome�looding.ThedroughtbeganinDecemberandextendedoveralloftheNorthIsland.Farmersestimateitcostthem2billionNewZealanddollars($1.7billion)inlostexportearn-ingsaftertheyreducedtheirherdsandcutbackonmilkproduction.Thattranslatestoabout1percentoftheeconomy.FederatedFarmersPresidentBruceWillssaidthatsomepartsofthecountry,particularlythecentralNorthIsland,haven'treceivedasmuchrainandremainmuchdrierthannormal.Hesaiditwillbeatoughwinterformanyfarmers.NathanGuy,theMinisterforPrimaryIndustries,saidinastatementtherainis"greatnews"butthatchallengesremain.Corbett,themeteorologist,saidthecountryisalreadylookingalotgreener.HesaidtheheavydownpourswilllikelyabatebylateMondayandtheweatherwillsettleintoamoretypicalfallpattern.(Abridged)

DelugebreaksWaikatodroughtincostlyfashionHARRYPEARL23/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8583136/Deluge-breaks-drought-in-costly-fashion

ALDENWILLIAMS/FairfaxNZZoomAnabandonedcaronMainRd,Stoke.Thepasttwodaysofwildweatherhas"brokenthe back" of the drought, Federated FarmersWaikatosays.Butthatistheonlybrightspotinwhathasoth-erwisebeenacostly48hoursfortheregionasfoulweatherchurnedup�lash�looding, torna-

doesanddamagedproperty.However,FederatedFarmersWaikatopresidentJamesHoughtonsaidtherainhadbeengreatnews for farmers,andhewould like toseeanother30millimetres to40mmin thenext10days."We'renowmovingfromthedroughtintorecovery."Theburstsof rainhadeffectively "brokentheback"of thedrought,hesaid,andconditionsoverthenextthreemonthswoulddeterminethelastingimpactofit."Ithasbeenverygood,slow,constantrain.Ithashadachancetosoakin."-©FairfaxNZNews(Abridged)

Hail,thunderstormsbatterCanterburyCAROLINEKING,OLIVIACARVILLEANDASHLEIGHSTEWARTLastupdated30/04/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/your-weather/8613139/Hail-thunderstorms-for-Canterbury

Cara Friend HEAVY RAIN: Putake Drive �looded very quickly today. Canterbury has been batteredby hail, thunderstorms and heavy rain, sparking �looding insomepartsofChristchurch."Extremerain"also �loodedparts ofTheColombo, causing the indoormall toclose for twohourstoday.An"activethunderstorm"developednearAshburtonandmovingupthecoastthismornign,

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bringing with it heavy rain ofover 25 millimetres an hourand large hail of 20mm ormoreindiameter.(Abridged)

FrostheraldsstartofcoldsnapEMMABAILEY02/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/8621749/Frost-heralds-start-of-cold-snap

MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE/ Fairfax NZ BRRR: First frost of the year on a farm at Beacons�ield Rd yesterday morning. JackFrostcreptinovernightandlefthiscallingcardyesterdaymorning-the�irstfrostoftheyear.AccordingtoMetServiceinTimaruthemercurydroppedfrom2degreesCelsiusto1Cat2amandthendownto0Cat6am.Thesunroseat7.29amandbetween8amand9amthetempera-turerosefrom0Cto9C.Itwasminus2CattheTimaruairportovernightandLakePukakiwasdowntominus6CandLakeTekapominus5C.ThecoldoozedacrosstheSouthIsland,accordingtoMetservicecommunicationsmeteorolo-gistDanielCorbett.(Abridged)

Orderthe�irewood,saysMetService03/05/2013

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http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/8629555/Order-the-�irewood-says-MetService

SEASON OPENER: Duck shooting starts on Saturday with mixed conditions forecast for the weekend. MetServicemeteorologist Daniel Corbett said thebeginningoftheweekendwouldbethelastchanceforawhiletogettheDIYdone.Saturdaywillbe �inewith temperatures inthe low20s,andSundaywill blossomas a clearday. But in the evening thefrontwillpushthrough,bringingheavyrainandthepotentialforadashingofsnowontheDesertRoad."It'sayuckyone-onethatjustmakesyouwanttogo'ergh'"Corbettsaid."Grabacoupleofextralayersandifwehaven'tgotitalready,orderthe�irewood."Temperatureswoulddroptosingle�ig-uresovernightduringthecold,wetspell.-©FairfaxNZNews(Abridged)

FlightsdepartingWellingtonAirportdelayedbyhighwindsMondayMay06,2013Source:ONENews/NewstalkZBhttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/�lights-departing-wellington-airport-delayed-high-winds-5428936

Lengthy delays for passengers at Wellington Airport -Source: ONE News Flooding basin, Wellington - Source: Rachel Smart

PassengersatWellingtonAirportarefacinglengthydelaysasrainandstrongwindscontinuetodisrupt�lights.AlmostallAirNewZealandLinkservicesintoandoutofWellingtonfortheremainderoftheeveninghavebeencancelled.A downpour thismorning saw �looding onmany streets throughoutWellington, and whilemuchofithasrecededthereisstill�loodinginsomeareas.However, throughAuckland, strongsouthwesterliesareexpected fora time thiseveningasthelowmovesaway.Whileforecasterssaytheworstoftheheavyrainfallhaspassedoverthisafternoon,hundredsofpeopleinwestAucklandarefeelingtheeffectsofthestorm.More than1400homeswerecutoff in thearea thismorning,butVectorhoped tohavere-storedpowertothemajorityofresidentsby7pmtonight.Flooding has also been reported in Christchurch and Blenheim, where residents have toldONENewsitiswidespread.PartofStateHighwayOnebetweenBlenheimandSeddonwaspar-ticularlybadlyaffected.(Abridged)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu



WILDWEATHERHITSCOUNTRYSARAHHARVEYANDMICHAELDALY06/05/2013PHILREID/FairfaxNZhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8636104/Wild-weather-hits-the-country

METSERVICE RAINING AGAIN: A 10.30am Met-Service rain ra-dar image shows heavy downpours around Auck-land and cen-tral NZ.

Aswildweathercontinuestohitthecountry,policeinWel-lingtonarewarningmotoriststotakeextremecaredrivingon�loodedroads.Downpours have caused �looding in Wellington, Christ-churchandMarlborough.Streets,homesandbusinesses inWellingtonwere �looded,withMetService saying 13mm of rain fell atWellington Airport in a 10-minute period to9.22am.Inthetwohourssince8.30am35mmofrainhadfallen-almostasmuchasinthe12hoursto9am(36mm).Therewasalsosigni�icant�loodingaroundtheBasinReserve,onAoteaQuay,atthecornerofKentTceandOrientalPdeandattheunderpassatthesouthernendofWellingtonAirport.Minorsurface�loodinghadalsobeenrecordedinpartsofanumberofsuburbs,includingKa-roriandKilbirnie.Mostwereaboutsurface�looding,whichhadbeenreportedinKarori,Mornington,LyallBay,Kilbirnie,Newtown,IslandBay,Wilton,TheTerrace,andMelrose.Galeshadknockedpowerouttoabout1800homesinAucklandovernight.Surface�loodingandthereturntoschoolledtolongtraf�icqueuesinChristchurchthismorn-ing.MetServiceforecasterMarylinAverysaidabout18millimetresofrainhadfallenininthecitysofar.Butareas"closertothecoast"hadreceivedthemostrainfall,with27mmrecordedinLincoln,shesaid.People inpartsofBlenheimandwiderMarlboroughwouldhavehadtroublegettingoutoftheirhomes thismorning,withsurface �looding lappingat theirdoorsteps,blockingdrive-waysandcoveringstreetsandroads.Morethan60mmofrainwasrecordedinpartsoftheregion,includingBlenheimandRaran-gi.-©FairfaxNZNews(Abridged)

Floodingcauseswidespreaddisruptionincapital6May2013http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/134360/�looding-causes-widespread-disruption-in-capitalA deluge has caused widespread problems throughout Wellington, with roads and shops�looded,poweroutagesand�lightsdisrupted.ByMondaynight,86.6mmofrainhadfallensince9pmonSunday.FloodwaterswereattheirhighestjustsouthoftheBasinReservewheretraf�iclightswereoutand�irecrewshadtopumpwateroutofseveralbuildings.

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Cars were almost submerged in Alfred Street, Wellington. InAlfredStreet,offAdelaideRoad,wateralmostreachedwindowsofparkedcarsandworkersinanof�iceblockwereunabletogetoutofthebuildingforatime.

MetService:Weather'adog'sbreakfast'Mon,06May2013ByIngridHipkisshttp://www.3news.co.nz/MetService-Weather-a-dogs-breakfast/tabid/423/articleID/296732/Default.aspx

http://www.3news.co.nz/MetService


Drains struggled to cope with the intensity of the downpour

It's been a day of wild weather for much of the country. Infact,intermsofthenumberofpeopleaffectedandthearsenalMotherNaturethrewatus,it'stheworstweatherinmorethanayear.EventheMetServicedescribeditas"adog'sbreakfast,with“everythingandthekitchensinkthrownin".Thekitchensinkcontainedanawfullotofwater,asWellingtonshopkeepersfounda�loodontheirdoorstepsthismorning.DrainsstruggledtocopewiththeintensityofthedownpourandthereweresimilarproblemsinChristchurch,wherepumpshadtobeusedtoturnariverbackintotheroadithadbeen.Aucklandwasbattered all night bywindsgustingup to160km/h.Power lines camedownandabout1400customershadtomakedowithoutelectricity.Andthisafternoonthetreeswere still falling in Auckland, even though the rain had stopped. 3 News : http://www.3news.co.nz/MetService-Weather-a-dogs-breakfast/tabid/423/articleID/296732/Default.aspx#ixzz2VR5DNJF8(Abridged)

www.3news.co.nz/MetService


TelecomservicesdisruptedbystormyweatherTuesdayMay07,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/telecom-services-disrupted-stormy-weather-5430197

White Landline Telephone - Source: ONE News Telecom customers' telephone and broadband services have been disrupted by the recentburstofstormyweather.Asaresultofthewindandrain,Telecomsayssomecustomersmaynoticestaticontheirtelephonelines,incomingcallscuttingoffafteroneringortheirbroad-banddroppingout.(Abridged)

Wellingtonfogcancels�lights16/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8678824/Wellington-fog-cancels-�lights

Thickfoghalted�lightsinandoutofWellingtonInternationalAirportovernight.


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Sharath Varghese Fog in Wellington near the Majestic Centre. MetService forecaster LeighMatheson said the fog, causedwhenmoist air cooleddownatnight,camefromthesouthoverareasneartheairportabout8pm.It stuck around till 1-2am today. The thin band of fog was about 30m off the ground.(Abridged)

Rain,rainandmorerainforWaikatoELTONSMALLMAN20/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8691878/Rain-rain-and-more-rain-for-Waikato

Ben Curran/Fairfax NZ LET IT RAIN: Umbrellas will be the fashion accessory of choice for this week in the Waikato.

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AwetstarttotheweekisforecastfortheWaikatoafteranareaoflowpressureovertheTas-manSeabroughtraintotheregionduringtheweekend.Areasmostaffectedbysummer'sprolongedperiodofdryweatherwouldwelcome therainandtemperaturesintheregionhavebeen"aboutaverage".-©FairfaxNZNews(Abridged)

O k l a h o m a : H u g e t o r n a d o k i l l s d o z e n sTuesdayMay21,2013http://www.nzherald.co.nz/weather/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503080&gal_cid=1503080&gallery_id=133015DozensofpeoplearedeadafterahugetornadostruckMoore,Oklahoma,nearOklahomaCityonMonday.Rescuecrewsaresearchingthroughthenightforsurvivorsandvictimsinanele-mentaryschoolthatthetornadodestroyed.

WaterspoutsformoverManukauHarbourTuesdayMay21,2013http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10885114

TwowaterspoutswerespottedinAuckland'sManukauHarbourthisafternoonaswildweath-erhitspartsofthecountry.Picturestakenthisafternoonclearlyshowtwofunnelcloudsreachingdowntowardsthewa-terbeneathagreysky.Whileunable to say exactly howbig theywere,WeatherWatchhead analyst PhilipDuncansaidtheywerelarge."Fromwhatyoucanseeonthatphotooneofthemlooksbig,itlooks...likeitwouldbemuchbiggerthanaboat,orahousemaybe.Earlier,theMetSeviceissuedaseverethunderstormoutlookforNorthland,Auckland,theCor-omandel Peninsula,Waikato,Waitomo, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, northern Gisborne, BullerandNelson.MetService meteorologist Daniel Corbett said tornadoes were possible but unlikely. "Themainriskisforheavydownpoursandhail,[but]wecan'tcompletelyruleouttheriskofator-nado,"hesaid.Some tornadic systems such as funnel clouds,waterspouts and small land-based tornadoeswerepossiblewiththunderstorms.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/weather/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503080&gal_cid=1503080&gallery_id=133015



About20to30tornadoeshappeninNewZealandeachyear,mostfrequentlyinthewestandnorth. Tornadoes sometimes occur during thunderstorms, are sometimes preceded by along,continuousroarorrumble,andgenerallylastlessthan15minutes.Damagepathsare10to20metreswideandareusuallylessthan�ivekilometreslong.- APNZ

HeavythunderstormstodeliversoakingByAbbyGillies,MorganTaitWednesdayMay22,2013http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10885276

Low responsible for tornadoes in Auckland expected to pile on misery until weekend. HeavythunderstormsthatcausedthreewaterspoutstoforminManukauHarbouryesterdayareexpectedtobringheavyraintomuchofthecountryuntiltheweekend.A lowpressuresystemwouldcontinuetobringheavyrainandthundertotheNorthIslandthroughouttodayandweatherwouldremainunsettleduntil theweekend,saidMetServicemeteorologistJohnLaw.

ThousandsoflightningboltshitNZMAY22,2013MelbourneheraldSunhttp://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/thousands-of-lightning-bolts-hit-nz/story-fni0xqll-1226648620674

MOREthan3500lightningstrikeshavelitupNewZealand's skies in just 12 hours, as a complexweather system brings wind, rain and thunder-stormstothecountry.At 6pm (1600 AEST) on Wednesday, the Met-Servicehadclocked3600lightningstrikescausedbythelowpressuresystem,withmostactivityoc-curring earlier in the day. New Zealanders haveescaped the brunt of the system, however, withmost of the storms occurring off the coast.(Abridged)

DamageastheweatherturnsbitterMICHAELDALY27/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8720464/Weather-to-take-a-bitter-turn

DEBORAH MACLEOD WINTER DROPS IN: The dam-aged promenade at St Clair beach.


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Big holes have opened up in a Dunedin beachside promenade, after itwas undermined bypoundingwavesandhightides.Thedamagecomesasbitterlycoldsouthwesterlywindsareexpectedtosweepoverthecoun-trytoday,bringingsnowtolowlevelsinthesouth,andtotheDesertRoadinthecentralNorthIsland.SouthwestgalescouldbecomeseverenorthofAucklandovernight.TheholesstartedopeningupyesterdayinthepavedareaontheEsplanadeatStClairandcon-tinuedtowidenaswavescrashedagainsttheseawall.Withfearsavoidwasopeningupunderneaththetiles,authoritiescordonedofftheseawardsideoftheEsplanadearoundmid-afternoonyesterday.-©FairfaxNZNews(Abridged)

FirstsnowoftheyearforCastleHillASHLEIGHSTEWART27/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/your-weather/8719773/Cold-blast-to-bring-hail-sleet

GREAT FUN: Two-year-old Maia Wake�ield, of Castle Hill Village, enjoys the �irst snow of the sea-son with her mum Sonia. Snowhasdisruptedtraf�icintheSouthIslandtodayasChristchurchbracesforhailandsleetyshowers.Metserviceissuedsnowfallwarningsforanumberofareastoday.(Abridged)

HeavysnowforecastforfarsouthMondayMay27,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/heavy-snow-forecast-far-south-5449394

Snow at 350m above sea level in Kuriwao, near Clinton. -Source: ONE News Frequentsnowshowersaredustingthefarsouththiseveningasabitterlysouthwesterly�low




hoversoverthearea.Snowshowersarealsofallingtoaroundsealevel,MetServicesaid,and1to2cmcouldaccu-mulateontheroadbymidnighttonight.(Abridged)

AfrostymorningforTimaruTIMARUHERALDSTAFFREPORTER28/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/8725428/A-frosty-morning-for-Timaru

MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE/ Fairfax NZ FROSTY MORNING: Glenda Gavin and her dogs enjoyed an early morning romp through the fro-zen Centennial Park. Timaruawoketoanicymorningafterlastnight'ssoutherlyblastbroughthailandandfreez-ingtemperaturesoverthecity. GlendaGavinandherdogsenjoyedarompthroughthefro-zenCentennialPark�irstthingthismorning.MetServicereportedanovernight frostof -1C,andthetemperaturehadrisentoonlyalittleover5Cbyabout10am.

ColdsnapclosesNorthIslandroadsTuesdayMay28,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/cold-snap-closes-north-island-roads-5449917

In Pakuranga a pine tree fell through the roof of a house -Source: Supplied

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Snow on the Desert Road - Source: John Cowpland ApolarblastaroundtheNorthIslandtodayhascausedroadclosures,poweroutages,delayed�lightsandhaslefthomesdamaged.InPakurangaapinetreefellthroughtheroofofahouse,crashingintoabedroom.Aresidentwasintheroomatthetimebutwasnotinjured.MetServiceforecasterDanCorbetttoldTVONE'sBreakfastthismorningthattoday'sweatherconditionswouldfeelmorelikemid-winterthantheendofautumn."Thesoutherlyiswellandtrulykickingitswaythrough,anyonewhostepsoutinWellington.orevenacrossmostofthecountry,youcanalmostimaginesomebodyhastakenthecalendaronthekitchenwall,thrownitupintheairanditslandedonAugust,itsjustadifferentfeel,"hesaid.Corbettsaidwinterisjustaroundthecornerandthiscoldsnapmayfeelharsherbecauseofthemilderautumnthecountryhasbeenenjoying."Thisautumnhasbeendifferentwe'vehadlotsofnortherlies,theybringthewarm,theybringthewet,"hesaid. "Wehaven'thadmanysoutherliesuntilthelastweekortwoandasthesesoutherlies come through they've just been getting a bitmorebark and a bitmorebite tothem,andthisone,it'sgotclaws,it'sgotfangs,it'sgotsomerealbite.(Abridged)

Flightscancelled,hundredsdelayedafterheavysnowfallsTuesdayMay28,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/�lights-cancelled-hundreds-delayed-after-heavy-snow-falls-5449852

A car abandoned in the snow on Dunedin's Northern Motorway - Source: ONE News Awintryblast sweeping across the South Island today affected hundreds of passengers on�lightstoandfromDunedinandQueenstownairports.HeavysnowshowerscausedwidespreadcancellationsatQueenstownAirport,witharound800passengersbeingre-accommodatedonalternativeservices.MetServicetoldONENewsthatcoastalareas,suchasChristchurchandDunedin,hadbeenhit



harderthaninlandareasbythebitterchill.(Abridged)

Hill road closed,more snow on theway28/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/8724318/Snow-forecast-for-Wellington-hills

TRISTIN DAVIS Snow dusted Rimutaka RoadThe RimutakaHill Rd is closed until fur-ther notice due to snow, while wintryweatherhasbeenblamedforseveraltraf-�ic accidents around the Wellington re-giontonight.Public transport in Wellington was alsoaffectedbytheweather,withtwoeveningtrain servicesbetween the city and John-sonvillecancelledduetoslipperytracks.Unusually high tides combinedwithwildweather closed the road to Eastbournethisevening.MetService meteorologist Dan CorbettsaidthetemperatureatthetopoftheRi-mutakaHillwas1degCat9.15am.Adust-ing of snow couldbe visible on theTara-ruaRangestoday.(Abridged)

Cold snap brings snow, road clo-sures,powercuts28May2013http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/136253/cold-snap-brings-snow,-road-closures,-power-cutsHeavysnowiscontinuingtocausedisrup-tion across New Zealand, closing statehighwaysandcuttingpower.Heavy snow that fell over parts of Otagoand Southland on Tuesday closed roads,disruptedairtravel,shutschoolsinDune-din and caused dozens of car crashes inthecity.

Snow fell to sea level in Dunedin. RNZWavesclosedtheroadbetweenEastbourneandtheHuttValleyfora coupleofhours intheevening,becauseofthesoutherlygalescombinedwiththehightide.HundredsofhomesarewithoutpowerwestandnorthofAucklandonTuesdaynightasrainandwindcontinuetobatterthearea.About300propertiesinWellsford,HelensvilleandBethellsBeachareaffected.Power cuts alsohithundredsof residentsnorthofAuckland including those in theRodneydistrict,Mangawhai,TeHanaandWellsford.

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http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/136253/cold


MotoristscautionedabouticySouthIslandroadsWednesdayMay29,2013Source:ONENews/Fairfaxhttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/motorists-cautioned-icy-south-island-roads-5450796

First snow of winter hits Otago - Source: Breakfast PoliceareurgingdriverstotakeextracareonSouthIslandroadsthismorning,duetoblackiceonsever-almajorhighways.Blizzard-like conditions were reported on Christ-church'sPortHillsyesterdayasasnowstormhitthecityandBanksPeninsula.ForecasterMikeO'Connorsaidsnowwasmeltingasit hit the ground in Christchurch and motoristsshouldtakecaretoday,particularlyinshelteredare-as."Weareexpectingfrostinlandsothere'sde�inite-ly a risk [of ice]. There is a bit ofwind, so that canstopfrosting,butanysortofshelteredareascouldbe

icy."Temperaturesplummetedto justtwodegreesatChristchurchAirportabout6amyesterday,but snow was mainly con�ined to Banks Peninsula and areas around the Southern Alps.(Abridged)

Roadsre-openafterbigfreezeTOMHUNTANDMICHAELDALY29/05/2013http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8728239/Roads-re-open-after-big-freeze

Glenn Watson ChristchurchandCanterburysnowMay2013


http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8728239/Roads


WHITE-OUT: Sugarloaf stands out clearly from the snow coating Christchurch's Port Hills. MajorNorth Islandhighwayshavere-openedfollowingacoldsnapwhichsawsnowandicehalttraf�ic.IntheSouthIsland,theworstwas"wellandtrulyover",NZTAOtago-SouthlandstatehighwaysoperationsmanagerRogerBaileysaid.(Abridged)-©FairfaxNZNews

M o s t l y � i n e s t a r t f o r Q u e e n ' s B i r t h d a yFridayMay31,2013Source:ONENewshttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/mostly-�ine-start-queen-s-birthday-5452870

Blue sky - Source: Photos.com Queen's Birthday weekend should get off to a �ineandmostlydrystartformuchofthecountry.MetService says a ridge of high pressure over thenorthof theNorth Islandshouldensurea �inestartbut fronts pushing up the South Island are set tobringawetterendtothelongweekend."Make themost of the �ine anddryweather as it islikely to becomewetter andmore unsettled as theweekend progresses," meteorologist Daniel Corbettsaid.



TheMeteorologicalSocietyofNewZealand(Incorporated1979)isanindepend-entgroupofweatherenthusiastswiththestatedaimtoencourageaninterestintheatmosphere,weatherandclimate,particularlyasrelatedtotheNewZealandregion.

Tothisendwearrangeregularpublicmeetings,organiseanannualconference,andpublishanannualjournalandquarterlynewsletterreportingonthelatestdevelopmentsinmeteorology.

Anyonewithaninterestintheatmosphere,weatherandclimatecanjoinandmembershipcurrentlyconsistsofabroadspectrumofthecommunitybothpro-fessionalandnon-professional.Therangeofbackgroundsincludes

Meteorologists,weatherwatchersandstormchasers Climatologists,environmentalistsandgeographers Hydrologistsandecologists Sailorsanddivers Trampersandclimbers Aviatorsandgliderpilots Agriculturistsandaquaculturists Astronomersandcloud-admirers Economistsandengineers*Professionalweatherforecasters

MemberBene�itsTheSocietyconsistsofagroupofpeoplewhoshareafascinationintheweatherandliketoencourageaninterestintheatmosphere,weatherandclimate,partic-ularlyasrelatedtotheNewZealandregion.

Membershipprovidesaccesstoalivelycommitteewhoarespeciallyelectedwatchdogsforanycontentiousissuesinvolvingweatherorclimate.Formembersinthemaincentreswehaveane-groupforcommunicationplusorganisedmeet-ingsthroughouttheyearonweatherandclimatetopics.

Wepublishaquarterlynewsletterfullofmember'snewsandviewsplusdescrip-tionsofrecentsigni�icantweather.Wealsopublishanannualprofessionaljour-nal"WeatherandClimate",providingmembersaccesstothelatestpeer-reviewedthinkingintheprofessionofmeteorology.Itisacceptedinternationally


asthejournalthatgivesrecognitiontothevalueofmeteorologicalandclimato-logicalworkdoneinNewZealand.Itcontainspapersofinteresttobothprofes-sionalandgeneralreaders.Italsoincludesbookreviewsandexplanationsoftheunusual.Membersareinvitedtosendintheirowndescriptionsorphotos.

Wealsoholdanannualconferenceatvariousvenuesforthepresentationofsci-enti�icandgeneralweatherrelatedtopics.

SubscriptionsAnnualmembershipfeesaredueon1stAugust.:

$35forOrdinaryMembers $105forInstitutionalMembersThereisanadditionaloverseaspostagechargeof$15perannumformembersresidingoverseas.

All members (Ordinary and Institutional) receive copies of "Weather and Cli-mate"andthequarterly"Newsletter".

TOJOIN:Fillintheformathttp://www.metsoc.org.nz/user/register



Documents

Meteorological Society Of New Zealand (Inc.) · sites in Nov 2013 and also in our newsletter in Dec 2013. Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter #133 Jun 2013 - Page 8 NOTABLE