Some farmers facing worst drought in 125 years – Minister

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=104&objectid=10444021

Wednesday June 06, 2007  Photo / HB Today

Hawke's Bay farmers are facing the worst drought in 125 years, Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said tonight after visiting the region.

Mr Anderton flew over the farms in a helicopter and later met Federated Farmers' representatives and regional councillors.

He said the drought conditions on the East Coast were "serious and worsening" and the Government was working with local authorities to deal with the situation.  "The farmers I met today were resilient, determined and totally lacking in self-pity, but they are facing some very difficult times," he said.

"I understand, and admire, the pride in self-sufficiency that is a characteristic of rural people but these are unusual times," he said.

 

Trampoline flies as power lines blown awry, MetService predicts worse to come

By JARED MORGAN - The Southland Times | Wednesday, 6 June 2007

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/4084868a6011.html

ROBYN EDIE/Southland Times/Image ID 105785

SUNK: Wheelie bins toppled by gusty winds in surface flooding in Victoria Ave, Invercargill, yesterday.

Strong winds began to make their presence felt in the south yesterday, with MetService meteorologists predicting conditions will only get worse.

An errant trampoline led to Bluff's fire brigade being called out to a McGorlick St house after wind picked it up and dropped it on the roof of a neighbouring house.

Bluff chief fire officer Bill Gold said winds reached gale force in the port town yesterday and prompted a second fire call 11 minutes after the first when power lines were damaged by wind at the intersection of Elizabeth and Henderson streets.

The MetService issued a severe weather warning for strong winds over eastern parts of Southland and Otago yesterday, with gusts of about 110kmh forecast in exposed places between the Catlins and the Rock and Pillar range.

The southerly blasts come after an unusually warm May nationwide and herald a hurried arrival of winter. While the mercury at Invercargill Airport reached a high of 11degC yesterday, the wind-chill factor stripped that temperature back, making it feel like 3degC outdoors, MetService data said.

 

Snow, gales and lightning what a blast

By STAFF REPORTERS - The Southland Times | Friday, 8 June 2007

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/4087393a6011.html

 

BARRY HARCOURT/Southland Times/Image ID 105887

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO RAINCOATS? Students gathering outside Southland Girls' High School wait for afternoon buses but despite a low chill factor and sleet many did not have raincoats.

 

Southland's polar blast yesterday delivered snow, high winds, lightning and, to more than 600 households and businesses, power cuts.

Stewart Island ferry crossings were also cancelled yesterday and motorists were urged to take extreme care.

Craig Pullar, who farms at Kaiwera, 21km east of Gore, said snow began falling at 9am yesterday and about 12cm fell during the day.  There was a good dumping on the Hokonui Hills outside Gore and also on the hills off the Old Coach Rd between Clinton and Mataura. Snow was reported across Southland yesterday but it was a hit-and-miss affair. A smattering of snowflakes fell in central Invercargill about 6pm, while northern suburbs had heavier falls that settled up to 6cm in places last night. The MetService predicted 20cm to 30cm of snow to fall over the higher areas of Southland, above 300m, with lesser falls to 100m.

PowerNet assistant control manager Kana Shanmuganathan said high winds broke a power pole in Watt Rd, Otatara, at 9.30am yesterday, cutting power to about 600 customers for two hours.  A lightning strike at Taramoa blew fuses on power lines, with about another 20 customers losing power from 12.30pm. Most had power by 3.30pm, he said.

 

Heavy snow, gale force winds in south

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/1171081

TVNZ Jun 8, 2007

The polar front continued to blast Southland and Otago on Friday, bringing with it heavy snows and gale force winds. Up to 15cm of new snow was dumped overnight on Thursday and up to 25cm was recorded during the day.

The snow proved too heavy for power lines in Otago which finally gave way, cutting off power to more than 140 homes.

The back road from Clinton to Mataura was closed first thing on Friday morning and several schools were shut for the day.  "It's good to have a fire, some people don't have a fire...and we've got gas to cook on, barbeque, candles," says farmer Karen Dodds.

 

Wairarapa gales tear off roofs, fan blaze

By TANYA KATTERNS - The Dominion Post | Friday, 8 June 2007

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4087375a7693.html

After storm-force winds caused havoc in Wairarapa, residents are being warned to batten down and prepare for more to come.

Emergency services across Wairarapa were forced to call in all volunteers and reinforcements as they battled scrub and forest fires being fuelled by the ferocious winds on Wednesday night and early yesterday.

Roofs, fences and sheds were sent flying, with firefighters heading out into the dark to secure what they could.

A fire at a Juken New Zealand pine forest on Masterton's east coast at Flatpoint began just before 11pm on Wednesday. Winds gusting up to 120kmh fanned sparks and caused pockets of fire further ahead of the main front of the blaze.

The forest fire, one of more than six fires in the region that stretched resources till early yesterday morning, is believed to have been started by power lines arcing.

Principal rural fire officer Phil Wishnowsky said the Juken fire was difficult to bring under control, and covered three to four hectares.

"It is extremely difficult to fight in those conditions (with) massive winds fanning the fire and making it burn far hotter and more vigorously."

 

Otago Farmer Praises MetService For Weather Warning    

8:04 am, 08 Jun 2007

http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=376813&catid=17

 

Weather man who relished a good storm

By Angela Gregory 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10445029

Augie Auer was never afraid to air views on climate change that many considered to be politically incorrect.

 

Weather forecaster Augie Auer used to fly planes into hail storms, and most recently weathered the scientific storm over his controversial claims about climate change.

He survived both, but died in Melbourne on Sunday night while dining with relatives to celebrate his 67th birthday and 35th wedding anniversary. It is thought he suffered a heart attack.

Son Andy Auer said his father had had heart problems in the past, but his death had come as a total shock.

Daughter-in-law Jo Auer described him as a brilliant man who loved his family and career.

Auer was best known for his affable manner and colourful take on all things weather.

He was so good at communicating weather to the public that TV3 snapped him up as its weather presenter.

News and current affairs chief Mark Jennings admitted he was not particularly bothered about weather reports but after hiring Professor Auer he could see how they could be made interesting.

"He was a unique blend of a weather expert and a huge personality ... the ultimate weatherman."

The jovial professor loved his broadcasting job and would be planning his quirky on-air wit from the moment he got up.

However, he proved a little pesky in the wardrobe department, insisting on wearing fawn trousers and ties of his choice to the stylist's despair.

Jennings said Auer was also very competitive and tried hard to get the better of TV One's rival weatherman Jim Hickey.

MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said Auer was chief meteorologist when the pair worked together in the 1990s.

Auer had pioneered mesoscale and severe weather forecasting programs, looking at intense weather incidents such as thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail dumps.

Mr McDavitt said in Auer's early career in the United States, where he was born, he would fly planes into hail storms for research.

"He was one of the original storm chasers."

Auer always had a great way of explaining the weather, said Mr McDavitt.

"He added some vim to the whole proceedings along with a little grin on his face."

Jim Salinger, principal scientist of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, was also a former colleague of Auer at the old Meteorological Service in Wellington.

He said Auer had specialised in researching ice in clouds and was always looking to improve weather forecasts.

"He was an affable and genial person, a great and colourful communicator who made noteworthy contributions to the public understanding of weather.

"I can always remember him talking about cold sou-westers as commando raids of cold air blitzing the south, so he always had a good turn of phrase that made it memorable."

 

Augie Auer remembered as a "storm chaser"

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=118981

11/06/2007 Newstalk ZB

Tributes are flowing from family, friends and former colleagues and competitors for meteorologist Augie Auer, who has died while on vacation in Australia.

The veteran meteorologist suffered a heart attack while dining with family members in Melbourne last night. He was on holiday with his wife and the dinner was a celebration of their 35th wedding anniversary and his 67th birthday.

His son Andy Auer says his father had had a few heart problems in the past, but his death is a total shock to the family. He is flying to Melbourne this afternoon to help with plans for the return of his father's body to New Zealand. Professor Auer's daughter-in-law Jo Auer says he was a brilliant, loving man who loved his family and career. She says funeral details will be advised at a later date, once Professor Auer's body is back in New Zealand.

Professor Auer emigrated to New Zealand in 1990 after 22-years at the University of Wyoming as Professor of Atmospheric Science. In New Zealand he became the chief meteorologist for MetService until 1998. He is attributed with improving and updating the technical competence of the MetService weather forecasting staff.

One News weather presenter Karen Olsen worked with Professor Auer at MetService and remembers his first day on the job. "He came around and he introduced himself to everyone. He had a big conversation with me, he asked about my family. And that really struck me." Ms Olsen says he was like a storm chaser in America, where he would go up in planes and fly into thunderstorms.

In 1998 Professor Auer became TV3's weekday weather presenter and the network's resident meteorologist in 2002. Former One News weather presenter Jim Hickey says Professor Auer could bridge the gap between science and the man in the street. He says Professor Auer made meteorology fun and was "just something very very special." Mr Hickey says he is devastated by the news.

Professor Auer recently became involved in the debate over global warming, helping to found the Climate Science Coalition, a group that questions claims humanity is responsible for rising temperatures. Coalition spokesman Owen McShane says news of his death comes as a terrible shock. He says Professor Auer was simply a good man and despite often being the subject of personal abuse for his stance on climate change, he never let it get to him. Coalition secretary Terry Dunleavy says Augie Auer was highly regarded by many, including his opponents. He says they feared his ability to connect with ordinary people.

 

Rain, lovely rain!

http://www.hbtoday.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3737590&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

Hawke’s Bay Today – Rebecca Harper 12 June 2007

Paul Hawke, deputy principal rural fire officer of Hastings District Council, inspects a rain gauge

Rain has finally arrived in Hawke's Bay, with more falling in one day than the whole of May, but for farmers the damage has already been done.

Rain started to fall around the Bay yesterday and has not let up since, with the Metservice forecasting rain for both Hastings and Napier until Thursday.

All of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's 43 collection sites had recorded rain in the last 24 hours.  Bridge Pa had 24.8ml, Crownthorpe 30.6ml, Te Pohue 34.6ml, Onga Onga 18.4ml, Waipukerau 13.2ml, and Wairoa River at Marumaru 17ml.

Although the region was firmly in the grip of a drought, Federated Farmers' Hawke's Bay branch spokesman Kevin Mitchell said it was "never too late" for rain. "It's really just the start. We need a heap more, but there's a good chance we could get a good lot of rain this week the way the weather map looks," he said.

Now the most important thing for farmers would be to give stressed pasture the chance to recover, something that would take a good three to four weeks.

"Most of us will have stock spread out over the farm. What we need to do now is mob stock back up and get it off that pasture," Mr Mitchell said.

 

Bay farmers grinning in the rain

By BERNARD CARPINTER - The Dominion Post | Tuesday, 12 June 2007

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4091654a3600.html

LYNDA FORREST/Dominion Post. SWEET RELIEF: Farmers were 'smiling from ear to ear' as drought-stricken Hawke's Bay got its first real rain for weeks. Havelock North's Hayden Stewart happily shows 77ml that fell in 24 hours.

Farmers were "smiling from ear to ear" as Hawke's Bay got its first real rain for several weeks. The rain, which started on Sunday, was just in time to help drought-hit farms, Federated Farmers spokesman Kevin Mitchell said yesterday.

"We've had about 40 millimetres on our farm, up the Taupo road," he said.

That was the first rain for June and followed a dry May, when most of Hawke's Bay only had about 10mm of rain.

 

Time to wrap up - winter's finally decided to get serious

Monday June 18, 2007 By Derek Cheng 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10446328

 

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.

The cold did not deter 250 hardy souls who jumped into the 7C surf at Dunedin's St Clair Beach for the 79th annual Polar Plunge.

 

Snow chaos in Otago leaves one dead

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/070621/3/oqi.html

Thursday June 21 (abridged)

 

Central Otago was in chaos tonight with heavy snow leaving one person dead, drivers stranded and roads closed.

Inspector Phil Jones of Queenstown police said some areas in the region were totally impassable while four wheel drive vehicles with chains were able to get through others. He did not think anyone was still trapped in their cars, but police were checking as roads were cleared.  "We've had a big snow fall today and yes it has caused a lot of carnage on the roads,'' he told Radio New Zealand.  "We seem to be on top of it now but as night sets in it's going to get fairly icy and fairly dangerous... If you don't have to go anywhere, don't go anywhere -- stay at home.

 

Wintry storm leaves one dead, closes schools

Thursday June 21, 2007

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10447092

Wanaka was blanketed by snow. Photo / Ben Wilson

 

Tourist to the rescue in fatal snow crash

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10447235

Friday June 22, 2007 - OTAGO DAILY TIMES, STAFF REPORTER

A 20-year-old international student student died when this car hurtled over a 70m bank at Lake Wanaka.

Police southern communication centre shift supervisor Trevor Cross said a rental car left the Makarora Lake Hawea Road on State Highway 6 and crashed into the lake about 12.30pm.  The four women in the car were all international students from Otago University. The three surviving students were taken to Dunedin hospital. None were reported to be in life threatening condition, he said.  English tourist Mark Davy scrambled down through dense bush to help the injured survivors of the crash near Camp Creek, about 30km west of Wanaka.

Mr Davy, 21, and Rowan Morson, 24, stopped their rental van to help the survivors from their crashed car. "We were the second on the scene and saw the cars parked up, so I went down to try to help the girls out of their car," Mr Davy said.

 

Polar blast wreaks havoc in south

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/1194110

TVNZ Jun 22, 2007 (abridged)  http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/1194110

Queenstown and large parts of Otago and Southland are cut off from the rest of the country after being hammered by the winter's first big snow storm.

The icy blast has closed major roads and emergency services are stretched attending to numerous accidents.

The severe weather is threatening the Southern Hemisphere's biggest winter festival. The opening of Queenstown Winter Festival has been cancelled because conditions are too wintry and many of Saturday's events are also postponed. Locals believe it's the first time in 33 years that this has ever happened.

And it came at the end of another snowy day that saw motorists in trouble.

The winter resort woke on Friday to Thursday's snow frozen hard.

 

Polar blast expected to last all weekend

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4104195a11.html

NZPA | Friday, 22 June 2007

MARCIA MCWHIRTER/Supplied

COOL RUNNINGS: It may be cold outside but that doesn't stop Kate McWhirter having a new kind of fun on a boogie board towed behind a bike in Gibbston Valley.

DEBBIE JAMIESON/ The Press

CUT OFF: Authorities are advising people to stay away from the Central Otago region after an icy snap hit, killing one person and causing chaos across the region.

 

Transit New Zealand reported today that State Highway 80 to Mt Cook, State Highway 83 between Kurow and Omarama and State Highway 6 between Makarora and Haast were closed. Caution was advised on State Highway 73 between Arthurs pass and Otira, and generally in the central South Island, Nelson and Otago.

Police advised motorists to watch following distances.

Mr Lake said the snow storms that affected Otago and parts of Canterbury largely cleared overnight.

"We have another front coming through approaching the far south this morning. That will bring a resurgence of cold south westerlies and some more snow down to fairly low levels, particularly in Fiordland, Southland and Otago," he said.  By midday the front should be over southern Otago.

Behind the front there are strong south westerlies, which will cause temperatures to plunge and bring as much as 20cm of snow at the 300m level with some falls below that.  Mr Lake expects road travel to be disrupted again today in the affected areas, particularly later today.

"The thing to note about this is these conditions will last through tomorrow. There will be another front coming through tonight and early tomorrow, which will keep these conditions going," Mr Lake said.

He said the bad weather may continue through to early Sunday.

The Central Otago skifields should pick up a reasonable amount of snow, he said.  Dunedin is likely to get snow on its hill suburbs.

This polar blast was the sort of thing experienced from time to time in winter. The amounts of snow would not be huge but they would be significant.

 

Snow causes chaos in south

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411365/1195637

Jun 23, 2007

Snow is continuing to cause problems in the deep south, with Dunedin receiving one of its heaviest snowfalls in years.

Heavy snow and gales of up to 110 kilometres an hour gave Southland and Central Otago a hammering overnight Friday. Around 10 centimetres of snow fell in some Dunedin hill suburbs, with snow all the way to sea level.

The snow resulted in chaos on the road and many drivers abandoned their cars overnight after the roads became too slippery.

On Saturday morning a car crashed into a house in St Clair, one of dozens of vehicle crashes in the area. The driver was taken to Dunedin hospital with minor injuries.

One lucky motorist, Dunedin resident Ann Swolss, suffered only minor injuries after her car took a six-metre plunge down a bank, lodging itself between the bank and a house.

 

Weather easing in south

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4104772a10.html

Fairfax Media and NZPA | Saturday, 23 June 2007

 

 

Farewell to the weatherman

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10447550

Sunday June 24, 2007  By Michelle Coursey

Former TV personality Clint Brown was a pallbearer. Photo / Doug Sherring

 

Button up, more snow's on the way

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4106630a11.html

TOM FITZSIMONS and NZPA - Wellington | Monday, 25 June 2007

PHIL REID/Dominion Post

 

Snow fall continues in Dunedin but roads are open

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10447696

Monday June 25, 2007 By Jarrod Booker  and Edward Gay 

 

North Island's turn to feel winter's icy grip

NZPA | Tuesday, 26 June 2007

 http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4108536a7693.html

ANDREW GORRIE/Dominion Post

SNOWBALL FIGHT, ANYONE? Amber Simm winds up to pitch her first snowball on the Rimutaka Hill. Winter's icy chill has made its way up the North Island.

 

Southern chill marches up the country

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10448128

Wednesday June 27, 2007  By Jarrod Booker (abridged)

A hardy Wellington surfer rides the waves at Lyall Bay as huge swells smash into the airport breakwater. Photo / Greg Bowker

Hundreds of ferry travellers were stranded and motorists were hampered by road closures yesterday as the wintry weather moved up the country and gave southerners a reprieve. Several Cook Strait ferry crossings were cancelled early yesterday as high winds created 5m swells, while several roads in the central North Island were affected by snow. In the south, the snow was clearing and being replaced with heavy frosts.

 

Cold weather keeps its grip

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10448188

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZHERALD STAFF Wednesday June 27, 2007

Photo / John Borren  

It was the coldest night of the year so far for many parts of the country, and temperatures have only climbed slowly through the day.

Radio network weather analyst Philip Duncan said clear skies allowed polar air from the weekend's storm to settle and freeze overnight.

Timaru and Queenstown were shivering on -6 degrees at 7.30 this morning.

West Auckland was 1C, while Hamilton, Taupo and Blenheim were -3.

In Wanaka and Lumsden it was -5.  At noon today, the temperatures in the main centres had risen to just 10C in Auckland, 9C in Wellington, 7C in Christchurch and 5C in Dunedin.  The wind chill was also making it feel a few degrees cooler.  .