A timelapse recording of the atmospheric effects of a solar storm seen across the Hawke's Bay skyline. Video / Timothy Jones
Hundreds of cars have jammed Wellington’s south coast tonight as keen stargazers flock to vantage points around the country to catch a glimpse of the aurora lights.
It comes as experts say a new “solar tsunami” is due to hit tonight, meaning swathes of the country could be in for another dazzling light show this evening, including northern parts of New Zealand.
A man in Wellington says hundreds of cars have descended on the Red Rocks car park on the south coast in the hope of seeing the aurora.
He described the situation as “complete chaos”.
While traffic was moving, it was slow, with many cars trying to reverse out of the dead end car park near Owhiro Bay.
The man said there was no sign of the aurora - “nah, nothing” - and he doubted it would be visible at all due to the intense light generated by all the cars.
Hundreds of cars jam the Red Rocks car park on Wellington's south coast in bid to see the aurora.
“I didn’t go down last night so I thought I’d give a crack. But you’d be better off going anywhere else in Wellington I reckon.”
Otago University physics professor Craig Rodger told the Herald Aucklanders have received a stroke of luck, with the US Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) now predicting another G5 solar storm from 9pm tonight.
Rodger initially said Tāmaki Makaurau was set to miss out in the once-in-a-decade event, but now a new “solar tsunami” could mean northern skies may well see another aurora.
A national power grid emergency notice has just been extended until 4am tomorrow due to the extreme solar storm.
Stargazers across New Zealand were treated last night to an incredible display of dazzling light across the southern skies.
The Herald was inundated by readers’ photos, documenting what for many is likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
With more clear skies tonight, many across the country will be hoping for another chance to capture the aurora.
Rodger had today been telling people what he thought was the best information, but by mid-afternoon the forecasts had changed.
“A little bit longer of the really intense activity, much like we had last night.”
Rodger advised hopeful aurora watchers with a keen eye to look south and watch for clear skies between 9pm and 3am.
MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said the stunning visual display was an uncommon sight for New Zealanders, but even more so for those in the Far North.
“In New Zealand, we’re not that far south, and the closer you are to the poles, the easier they are to spot. We do see the stronger ones, but to see them from Northland, that’s very uncommon,” O’Connor said.
Jeff Ng took this stunning photo of the aurora australis at Wellington's Ōwhiro Bay at 6.45pm on Saturday night. Photo / Jeff Ng
The SWPC showed the incredible patch of activity was set to fade by midnight, but another flare explosion on the sun has hurled a solar tsunami towards Earth.
Auroras result from magnetosphere disruptions caused by solar wind, altering the trajectories of charged particles.
These particles then rise into the upper atmosphere, creating colourful displays.
The opportunity to capture incredible shots of the aurora australis in Hawke's Bay could still continue over the coming nights. Photo / Connull Lang
Are we set for another week of cold temperatures?
Today was the coldest morning of the year for some parts of Aotearoa. It has set the standard as we roll into the beginning of next week.
Temperatures dropped below zero in several regions in the early hours of Mother’s Day and Auckland reached a chilly low of -0.4C in Whenuapai.
O’Connor said the coldest temperature recorded was in east Rangitāiki along State Highway 5 between Taupō and Napier, a low of -8.7C.
About 6.30am this morning, Rotorua recorded its second-coldest temperature for the month since 1972 at -3.3C.
Porters Pass (SH73) has had a light dusting of snow. Photo / George Heard
Looking towards next week, O’Connor said people living in the central North Island should continue to expect cooler-than-average mornings on Monday and Tuesday.
Temperatures are then likely to head back to a slightly warmer May average from Wednesday onwards.
O’Connor said the North Island may be up for a wet Wednesday morning, which could also affect the top of the South Island.
The rain is expected to clear for a mostly dry period at the end of the week for most of the country.
National power grid emergency
The national power grid emergency notice has been extended until 4am tomorrow.
The cold start to the day risked putting extra strain on the country’s power supply, with some transmission lines in the North Island and South Island closed on Saturday as a precaution.
Transpower, which operates the national power grid, said in a statement the storm could affect the Earth this weekend because of significant solar activity.
“As part of our contingency plan, we are removing some transmission lines from service across the South Island as a precaution. In order to do this, we have to issue a grid emergency notice. However, this initial action should not impact supply of electricity to consumers.”
