Scorching temperatures hit NZ

Temperatures of around 30 degrees have already been seen in New Zealand, and it's not even summer yet.

Wednesday was the warmest October day on record for several eastern towns.


Warm, sunny weather is being forecast for the weekend.

In the North Island, Wairoa reached 31.3C in the afternoon beating the previous October record of 30.2C from 2006.

While in the South Island, Kaikoura soared to 32.2C beating the previous record of 27.8C (also from 2006), and Timaru managed 29.0C which was slightly higher than the 28.9C recorded in 1977.

Many other eastern places also recorded afternoon temperatures in the high twenties. The high temperatures were due to a very warm air mass spreading off Australia combined with a northwest foehn wind over New Zealand.

'In this case, the air that arrived in the west of the country lost its moisture as it travelled up and over the mountains, allowing it to warm at a greater rate as it descended down the other side,” explains MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey.

'By the time the air arrived in the east it was more than 10C warmer than the air west of the mountains.”

The northwest winds were particularly strong in the South Island where parts of Canterbury, Otago and Southland were on the receiving end of gusts of over 120km/h.

The combination of strong, dry winds and warm temperatures meant the fire risk was exacerbated in these areas.

A much colder southerly flow is affected New Zealand yesterday but more warm, dry weather is expected in the east this weekend.

'A westerly flow this weekend will mean warm, sunny weather in the east although it won't be as warm as Wednesday for most places and the winds won't be as strong,” says Stephen.

'Western areas can expect cloud at times but it will be mostly dry there too. Overall the weather is looking settled for the end of the school holidays.”

Looking further ahead, a front is expected to move onto the South Island on Monday then onto the North Island on Tuesday, bringing a period of rain and cooler temperatures to many places by mid-week.

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2 comments

Wisechief

Posted on 09-10-2015 07:59 | By Wise Chief

We should be proud of this media driven government and apathetic peoples of this countries lack of concern for planet and now very apparent fast accelerating Climate Change. But don't go rushing about seeking funding from Government, Aussie and foreign Banks which control this Country for their own huge annual profits, because they won't and don't provide such funding for developments of real technologies which actually do cut emissions. Ask mate Ken Pedlar the inventor of many proven emission reduction tech over at the Mount who NZ media love to hate and to disparage his noble efforts now spanning 20 years developing such tech in HIS personal effort to try save planet. However this not good enough for some here in media who continue to downplay and criminalise his efforts. Interesting to find many media staff are skeptards of Climate Change even today from 1995 when Ken started.


Wisechief

Posted on 09-10-2015 10:42 | By Wise Chief

In less than 20 years temps will be hovering around 30 degree mark at 10.30 am in morning & 40 + by 3-5 pm in arvo-evening. Such is fast pace of accelerating Climate Change. Still Aussie & other foreign banks and their idiot racist managers along with private wealthy funders won't lift finger or spend REAL money to stop. Banks are hoarding their wealth for some INSANE reason while world heats fast towards mass cull of humanity. Few governments or those in media or super-wealthy let alone the Manor Women in street would ever take time to bother to lift a finger let alone spend a REAL dollar taking action to circumvent. Be assured if one tried to raise funding in this country or Australia one is certain to be attacked by FMA, Police State, Media or Government agencies which are all in denial of Climate Change. Humanity toast.


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