Fierce sandstorm blasts Tauranga 23/9/04

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03Stormchaser
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Fierce sandstorm blasts Tauranga 23/9/04

Unread post by 03Stormchaser »

Fierce sandstorm blasts Tauranga
24 September 2004

A savage sandstorm fuelled by fierce winds blasted Papamoa near Tauranga on Wednesday while conditions created havoc in other parts of the Bay of Plenty.


Parts of the seaside suburb resembled a desert as dust and sand whipped up by wind gusts of up to 79kmh created a giant orange cloud that blanketed hundreds of homes.

The sand was whipped up from a subdivision development in Papamoa East.

Despite sprinklers and water trucks swamping the bare soil with water, dust billowed into the air, blasting homes and forcing residents to seek cover.

Resident Maree Ede, whose property borders the subdivision, was housebound as winds buffeted her home with sand.

"I'm quite unimpressed but there is not much you can really do is there," Mrs Ede said with vacuum-cleaner in hand.

She was trying to rid the house of dust but gave up as the fine particles seeped in under the sashes and doorways.

"In the three years I've lived here I've seen nothing like this," she said.

Her son Andrew was equally unimpressed about not being able to go outside and play in his first week of school holidays.

Another resident Korena Ellis said clouds of dust and sand resembled billowing smoke.

The high winds kept electricity workers busy as power was cut to many parts of Tauranga and the lower Kaimai Range.

In the central city, a tree blew over and knocked powerlines on to the road.

Environment Bay of Plenty spokeswoman Ana Cotter said a council team was sent to Papamoa to investigate the sand storm.

"It may have been the freakish conditions."

Council teams were helping dampen the soil in the worst-hit areas.

"I think it was even too windy for that to make a difference," Ms Cotter said.

Port of Tauranga operations manager Nigel Drake said the wind stopped large container cranes from working because it exceeded the 70kmh safety limit.

Mr Drake said port authorities closed the cranes just after 2pm and a ship at the container berth was delayed.

MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said the windy weather was common at this time of the year and was being driven by cold temperatures at the South Pole.

"It's called the equinoxal gales," he said. At the moment the Antarctic is at its coldest and the wind that rolls around the world in the Roaring Forties is at its peak."


Necer really hear of 'sandstorms' in NZ
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tich
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Unread post by tich »

There was a strong northwesterly flow over the North Island on Wednesday 22nd (at least there was at 6PM according to the synoptic map on the Chch Press), so sand should've theoretically be blown out to sea. But I guess winds can be very unpredicatble with gusts easily distorted by buildings, large trees, and (especially) irregular terrain.
BTW, has anyone heard of a 'sand' tornado occurring anywhere?
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Unread post by NZstorm »

BTW, has anyone heard of a 'sand' tornado occurring anywhere?
There is quite a famous photo of a tornado in South Australia which is occuring over an arid environment. The tornado is made up of dust or sand.
There was a strong northwesterly flow over the North Island on Wednesday 22nd
I had a report of exceptional wind on the eastern side of the Coromandal Peninsula Wednesday.

Looks like we are in for another windy week.
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