Weather Watch: Cloudy, possibly wet New Year's Eve

Showers are expected in Northland and the East Cape Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

There's nothing I like more than a cloudy, possibly wet, New Year's Eve - followed by a cloudless blue skied New Year's Day. To me it's like the end of tired and old year and the start of a fresh, clean, new one.

That is shaping up to be the forecast for New Year's Eve celebrations around the country this year. Cloudy skies are likely to affect a number of northern, eastern and southern regions - but the good news is rain isn't really in the forecast for most.

We have a slow moving front to the north of the North Island, which will slowly drape itself over some north eastern regions (like East Cape/Gisborne). A few showers are expected in Northland and East Cape - there may even be a few in between Auckland and Bay of Plenty - but at this stage we aren't talking about anything major. Most NZers should be able to celebrate the end of 2010 outdoors under mostly mild conditions.

The forecast for January 1st, 2011 looks even better - sunny skies across a number of areas (just a few showers lingering around Gisborne...so much for first to see the sun).

2010 wasn't a year of weather extremes... the weather was fairly quiet due to the droughts for the first quarter... but winter was very quiet. No major snow storms really... and no major gales either. The first (and only) snow storm of 2010 was associated with the big storm that hit in spring.

I've put together a full list of all the weather and environmental headlines for 2010, which you'll find here.

Of course environmental news was quite big this year. We had some big cyclones in the south west Pacific, such as Rene, Tomas and Ului. 2010 was also the year of big earthquakes and tsunami warnings.

The massive 8.8 quake in Chile sent a tsunami our way. See video of the ripple effect it had as it zoomed across the Pacific Ocean that day.

Then of course we had the powerful 7.1 quake in Christchurch, which by a rare stroke of luck (or bad luck) I was involved in during a short 20 hour trip to Christchurch.

Out of all the natural disasters that I've covered in my career this was the only one that was truly life changing. It's hard for people who weren't in the quake to fully grasp what really happened. Especially if you've visited Christchurch since the quake - and the city still functions and barely looks hit in many suburbs. But it was that awe inspiring moment at 4:35am that lives on and on in my mind.

The weirdest moment about that day, September 4th, that I still hold on to this very minute, was the incredible guilt I felt as I boarded my plane and left for Auckland. Due to good luck and a recent decision to purchase Koru membership I managed to comfortably get out of the Canterbury region less than an hour after the airport re-opened.

I remember feeling so incredibly guilty flying out, while everyone else had to stay and live through the horror of all the aftershocks. I felt disloyal for flying back home to my own house, safely in Auckland. I have never felt so relieved to be home, but so guilty for feeling that relief.

Until the quake I always felt Christchurch was a city I didn't connect with - now it has a huge place in my heart, which is why I've returned to it every month since the quake.

My heart goes out to all those who still have to use portaloos, to those businesses that have gone under, and to those that tried to make some money on Boxing Day only to be hit and shut down by that big aftershock. And my heart goes out to those of you who have lost their homes, their businesses, and to those who have lost their love of living in this beautiful region.

So to end on a positive note: 2011 starts off sunny and settled for most. A chance to enjoy the sun, the beach, our gardens, our bush walks, our farms, our country. A chance to be thankful for all good things we had over 2010 too.

As I said - it actually wasn't a year of weather extremes. We enjoyed some great, settled, warm, weather this year.

Happy New Year to you all.