MetService Severe Weather Update: April 4th - April 6th
Video / MetService
An atmospheric river dumped heavy rain across several regions in New Zealand yesterday, causing slips, flooding, traffic woes and power cuts.
Rescue teams saved people from floodwaters and rough seas near Nelson and in Auckland.
Settled weather is expected today and tomorrow, with showers possible in some areas, according to MetService.
The atmospheric river that brought heavy rain to parts of both islands – dumping almost half a metre of rain in some places – has now “moved on”, making way for more settled weather across the country today, MetService says.
There was 484mm of rain at Canaan, near Bay of Plenty’s Te Puke, 430.8mm at Paradise Peak in the ranges south of Tākaka at the top of the South Island and 420mm at North Egmont in Taranaki during the mid-autumn drencher, which also brought high winds to some places and water runoff that could be seen on satellite images.
Flooding, slips, traffic woes, power cuts and rescues on land and sea kept first responders and repair workers busy across several regions yesterday as the largest weather system of the year made its presence felt.
Two people trapped in their car as floodwaters rose near Whangamoa, east of Nelson, were rescued by a specialist water rescue team. Photo / Fire and Emergency NZ Facebook page
A person is taken to safety after becoming trapped in their car in floodwaters near Whangamoa, east of Nelson, yesterday. Photo / Fire and Emergency NZ Facebook page
A specialist Fire and Emergency water rescue team brought to safety two people trapped in their car by rising floodwaters near Whangamoa, east of Nelson, with northern and western parts of the South Island in the system’s firing line.
Rai Valley chief fire officer Nigel Patterson was first on the scene and kept the pair – his neighbours – “safe and calm” before multiple brigade crews arrived and anchored the car to a tree to keep it stable, Fire and Emergency wrote on Facebook.
“Once the specialist team arrived, they safely evacuated the trapped passengers, getting them to safety through the rising and quickening floodwaters.”
A Fire and Emergency specialist water rescue team get a motorist to safety after they became trapped in rising floodwaters near Whangamoa, east of Nelson, yesterday. Photo / Fire and Emergency NZ Facebook
Much of the top half of the North Island was also impacted by the foul weather, with Auckland coastguard rescuers facing three-metre swells and 40-knot winds in the early hours of yesterday to pluck a woman to safety after her yacht began dragging its anchor off Tindalls Beach, on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula.
The floodwaters could even be seen from space, with runoff spilling into the ocean visible in satellite images of the Bay of Plenty and Nelson coasts, MetService posted on X.
🌧️🌊 Runoff from recent heavy rains is clearly visible spilling into the ocean in this satellite image, seen off the coasts of Bay of Plenty and Nelson. pic.twitter.com/4WJagIYqMn
Today, however, would be a different story, with relatively settled weather for most, MetService meteorologist Kgolofelo Dube said.
There would be a chance of showers or rain in some places, including Wairarapa and the Tararua ranges, parts of Canterbury, Clutha and Southland, and at the top of the South Island.
Isolated showers were also possible in some western parts of the North Island, including in Northland and Auckland, Dube said.
“But it’s nothing out of the ordinary.”
☀️⛅☁ Kia ora Aotearoa/New Zealand
North Island: More settled weather overall, with plenty of sunshine in many areas. However, expect a few showers in places, especially in the south and east. pic.twitter.com/RZm8UNrtDm
A high of 23C is forecast in both Auckland and Hamilton today, with 25C in Tauranga and 18C in Wellington.
It’s a cooler day in South Island main centres today after yesterday’s scorcher, during which Dunedin broke its almost 80-year-old April high temperature record with a sweltering 29.1C – also warmer than its highest temperature this summer.
Incredible South Island heat today❗️
Remarkable stats for Dunedin (Musselburgh):
🌡️ Max of 29.1°, highest April temp (records to 1947)
🌡️ Max of 29.1° is warmer than the highest temp recorded during all of summer (28.6° 8 Dec)
Both the southern city and Christchurch are expected to reach 17C today. Meanwhile, Nelsonians can expect 21C.
Similar weather was expected across the country tomorrow, Dube said.
“It started off quite settled, with patches of cloud. In the typical way the showers come through late afternoon.”
Some thundery showers were possible in western parts of the North Island, including Auckland, and in the South Island’s Buller district tomorrow afternoon and evening, she said.
Aucklanders were punished by rain and wind on their morning commute yesterday, but are being rewarded with sunny and mostly dry weekend. Photo / Michael Craig
Auckland, Whangārei and Tauranga were expected to reach a high of 23C tomorrow, with 22C in Hamilton and 24C in Napier.
Showers are forecast to develop in the morning in Wellington, where the high will be a cooler 19C.
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.
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