Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

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Dean.
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Re: Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by Dean. »

120mm all up for here
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Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by melja »

A wet start to the year round here with over 100mm January and over 100mm this month- not bad for hot summer too.

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Re: Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by NZstorm »

TonyT wrote: Wed 21/02/2018 10:05 15 or 20 years ago I was threatened with legal action by Met Service for daring to use the word "warning" in material I sent out to clients. I even got a "visit" from someone to make sure I understood their position. They developed a "voluntary code of practice" which specified how their official warnings could be distributed and which banned anyone else using the term 'warning' on forecast products. I am continually surprised at what some people get away with these days without MetService or the MOT taking a harder line. Do I feel victimised? Possibly. Did I blaze a trail for those who have come along since? Nah. :lol:
Met Service can only stop the term 'warning' being used in the public domain. You can say what you like to your clients as you can't call that the public domain.

By MOT you mean Ministry of Transport. The Met Service was pulled out of the Public Service around the time they started charging for stuff.
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Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by Wildland »

This was one of those serious storms that could have been worse without a bit of planning for possible consequences.

I think that the various authorities managed it well, shutting schools on the West Coast to keep buses off the road when the peak winds arrived there in the afternoon. Reacting quickly to the early strong winds in Sthn Taranaki even though the focus was elsewhere.

When I look at the huge landslides on the Takaka Hill and SH1 south of Kaikoura it's surprising that someone wasn't killed during this event as it unfolded.

The damage in the Tasman district of Nelson is staggering. Shocked to see what happened during the flooding at Riwaka on TV3 tonight.

Odd pockets of destruction around central NZ. Such as the damage to SH1 north of Pukerua Bay which created headaches for commuters to Wellington.

All in all, a highly uncertain situation was well managed.
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Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

Speechly's Bridge.
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JohnGaul
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Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by Wildland »

Nice one, John.
Your photo nicely sums up ex-TC Gita's visitation. No national emergency but widespread pockets of significant local disruption.

Some updates:
Marahau in Tasman Bay at the entrance to Abel Tasman National Park. Still isolated by road, access for residents and emergency workers via a barrier on the Kaiteriteri-Marahau coastal road while slips are cleared. Over the hill access to the Riwaka-Takaka highway is blocked by a significant landslide. The local water supply is out, so water was delivered this morning, a water tanker is booked for tomorrow according to the Tasman District Council. Power was back on yesterday after a 21-hour outage. I am told the RNZAF and army visited yesterday.

Takaka still cut off by road. Essential supplies were barged in this morning. More on the way.

Riwaka (near Motueka) is a mess due to flooding. Apple and other crops destroyed.

Taranaki - RNZ National said 5,000 homes were still without power this morning.

Flooding at Paraparaumu and Raumati South on the Kapiti Coast last night during a downpour. Houses damaged.

Just some of the events still unfolding that I know of.

The most bizarre footage I've seen from this event was the shingle "river" which appeared on The Project last night. Apparently the shingle flow at Terrible Gully near Rakaia is nothing new, but Gita gave it a more dramatic "performance" this year. Thanks to Stuff for putting the video up on it's website.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/101656 ... er-of-rock
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Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by Wildland »

The Metservice blog has posted some interesting stats on this event. Some snapshots -

Peak gust:
Stephens Island 144 km/h
Rimutaka Hill 131 km/h
Hawera 130 km/h

Greatest rainfall:
Hundalee Ranges south of Kaikoura 296.5 mm! (that easily explains why SH1 will be closed by slips for a few more days)
Motueka 133.6 mm (No wonder Riwaka got hammered)
Hurunui 132 mm
Takaka Hill was further down the list after several Canterbury and Taranaki sites (and Wainuiomata) at 107.1 mm but that figure explains the trashing of the highway.

Whoever read the tealeaves and decided to close Port Taranaki was justified. The Port Taranaki buoy recorded wave heights of 8.3 metres, and a rogue wave of 15 m was recorded.

Details here:

http://blog.metservice.com/Cyclone-Gita ... -21Feb2018

I'm wondering why the rainfall was so heavy near some of my favourite road-trip stop-offs of old! The Hurunui pub (haven't been there for a few years) and the long lamented Rat Trap on the Takaka Hill (burnt down several years ago). Perhaps there's a moral here somewhere... :rolleyes:
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Richard
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Re: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita impacts NZ Feb 18th-21st

Unread post by Richard »

Interesting how much more Hurunui gauge recorded which is only 2km from me and i only received 98mm. Its sited on corner of SH7 and Hurunui and Hawarden rd
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