KEY POINTS:
Well as predicted last week the big winter storm rolled in yesterday and I'm proud to say that I predicted it eight days ago! I know I sound a bit full of myself but forecasters always get blasted for getting it wrong so it's nice to promote when we get it right too. Okay, I've had my moment!
I bet a lot of readers of this blog love a good old storm - and most of New Zealand saw some incredible stuff yesterday and last night, especially in Southland, Central Otago, Christchurch, Wellington and the entire western coast of the North Island as far inland as Central Plateau and as far north as Northland. For those in the west keep an eye out later today as front number two rolls in!
The weather can bring out a very passionate side in people. I have 30 reporters based in all our radio markets across the country who spent all of yesterday feeding me the latest news and photos as the storm made its mark.
It was absolutely amazing to me and gave me this incredible "I'm there" feeling as it the front moved northwards. If you haven't seen some of the photos go to www.weatherwatch.co.nz
A few years ago, when I first approached my managers at the Radio Network about setting up a weather centre, a couple people told me "the weather is boring". At first I was offended - the weather is not boring!! I asked my friends, who agreed that weather can, in fact, be boring. How could I be so wrong?
I really thought weather was exciting. After much thought, I realised maybe everyone was right - until Hurricane Katrina developed.
August 2005- I had just discovered a weather page that showed rain radars across America. Katrina was a smallish hurricane - Category 1 from memory - as it crossed over Florida. The radar captured the eye perfectly so I left my computer running during that afternoon and people from time to time came over and looked at it.
As Katrina moved out into the Gulf of Mexico towards New Orleans and it deepened into a monster Category 5, I noticed people showed more interest, especially when I descibed how strong the winds were, how low the air pressure was, how big the waves were - higher than a 737! - what devastation it could cause, where it was likely to hit etc.
As Katrina approached New Orleans we watched webcams from the city showing lightning and heavy rain, and we watched the monster storm make landfall on the radar, which sent chills up our spines. New Zealand just doesn't get storms like this.
At that point I realised the weather isn't boring at all...but sometimes the way it's presented is. Weather systems are like great books, read properly they can be fascinating. I went back to my managers and told them to go for a day without talking about the weather. Suddenly getting in the lift with that person you hardly know from level 3 becomes a lot more awkward. "Nice hair" - not quite the same as "Wow it's windy out there today". Or how about when you're standing at the traffic lights, it's just gone red and you see someone you don't really have anything in common with walking towards you. No longer can you kill those couple minutes with "Boy it's freezing this morning. Winter's sure here!".
In this country it's impossible to go a day without mentioning or hearing about the weather. My goal is to try and make the weather exciting, intriguing, interesting, addictive. It's not for everyone, I know, but if I can share just half of my passion for this stuff with you then I'm sure I can get even the cynics hooked.
Philip Duncan
For the latest on this winter storm keep up to date with The Radio Network's new Weather Watch Centre, the Newstalk ZB weather website or the NZ Herald weather section.
Pictured above: Waves crash over rocks in Shark Alley as a ship rides at anchor during a squall that caused flooding in Tauranga. Photo / Jimmy Joe
