Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

'Volcanic fog' explains haze, sulphury smell in Bay of Plenty

Rotorua Daily Post
9 Nov, 2021 09:19 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Geonet says volcanic unrest is continuing at Whakaari White Island. Photo / NZME

Geonet says volcanic unrest is continuing at Whakaari White Island. Photo / NZME

Hazy conditions and a sulphury smell in the Bay of Plenty is being explained by a phenomenon called volcanic fog.

GeoNet said increases in gas emissions from Whakaari/White Island have combined with a developing sea fog in the Bay of Plenty to create a phenomenon known as "vog" or volcanic fog.

In a social media post, GeoNet said: "Vog is created when the sulphur-based volcanic gases mix with atmospheric moisture to form an aerosol.

"The light northerly winds are driving this onshore, there has not been an eruption to produce this.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"A vog can be unpleasant producing watery eyes and a stinging sensation. Those with respiratory health issues should be cautious. A vog can also reduce visibility, creating a hazard for road, air and ocean traffic, so please take care," GeoNet said.

Weather conditions mentioned in our Whakaari/White Island volcano update earlier today have combined with a developing...

Posted by GeoNet on Monday, November 8, 2021

Bay of Plenty residents, from Whakatāne, Kawerau through to Pāpāmoa have taken to social media to describe the sensation.

"The smell when I opened the door this morning, and man my nose hurt for a bit after. The smell was through the whole house. Even overpowered the diesel soak work uniform of the husbands in the garage," one said.

Others described a strange haze in the air and a sulphury smell.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Just walked outside and didn't know what I was seeing? Is it rain is it smoke?"

"That explains why I was struggling to breathe," another post said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

New children’s series filmed in Bay of Plenty premieres this weekend

Rotorua Daily Post
|Updated

One dead in SH1 crash near Taupō, highway closed

Rotorua Daily Post

'Can't believe it': $10m reserve project paused, councillors unaware of it


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

New children’s series filmed in Bay of Plenty premieres this weekend
Rotorua Daily Post

New children’s series filmed in Bay of Plenty premieres this weekend

The series uses drones to showcase tamariki stories from above.

19 Jul 12:00 AM
One dead in SH1 crash near Taupō, highway closed
Rotorua Daily Post
|Updated

One dead in SH1 crash near Taupō, highway closed

18 Jul 11:25 PM
'Can't believe it': $10m reserve project paused, councillors unaware of it
Rotorua Daily Post

'Can't believe it': $10m reserve project paused, councillors unaware of it

18 Jul 06:07 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP