Snow or frozen hail in Whanganui? Photo / Bevan Conley
Snow or frozen hail in Whanganui? Photo / Bevan Conley
July 3
A wintry blast hit the central North Island hard on July 3. Heavy snow caused havoc on state highways, and weather even gave Whanganui trouble.
Across the central North Island, snow fell rapidly: one Taihape resident had 35-40mm of snow over a morning. State Highway 1 Desert Rdand SH47 were closed as snow continued to fall.
At Upokongaro near Whanganui a tree blocked a lane, and two cars collided on SH4 near Makirikiri Valley Rd.
By Saturday, July 4, most of the weather had cleared, paving the way for a much calmer weekend.
Another wintry blast on July 9, brought snow and wild weather, halting traffic across the Whanganui and Ruapehu districts.
In Whanganui, the temperature hit a low of just 1.6C. A low thunderstorm passed over the city bringing substantial rain, sleet and hail, delaying flights out of Whanganui Airport.
Emergency services were kept busy with three major crashes around the region. The rescue helicopter was called to a crash at the intersection of SH48 and SH47 and another near National Park.
Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter. Photo / Supplied
July 16
Rescuers from the Department of Conservation and iwi desperately tried to assist a stranded whale near Whangaehu.
The long-finned pilot whale was discovered by a member of the public around 12.30pm. DOC rangers spent all day with the whale alongside iwi.
Tragically, despite the best efforts of rescuers, the whale died around 8.30pm that day.
Long finned pilot whale stranded near Whangaehu. Photo / Caroline Towers
July 16
Also on July 16 the Chronicle profiled about 20 protesters demanding that the government alter its response to Covid-19, citing concerns with legislation that allowed police to enter homes without a warrant.
The protesters, who had congregated at the intersection of London and Purnell Sts most Sundays since lockdown lifted, said the government's response to the virus had infringed on their rights.
A group of protestors demanded change on the government's Covid-19 response in July. Photo / Lewis Gardner
The protesters were also against 1080 poison drops and the 5G cellular network.
July 26
Around 35 volunteers from around Whanganui planted 900 pingao to help keep the sand in place, on dunes near Duncan Pavilion, Castlecliff.
Volunteers said they wanted to protect the beach.
"You get a lot of people moving back and they just want to do something for their home town. It's like I'm repairing all the damage I did as a kid," volunteer David Carter said.
