[Stu]

Just as an example of the wierd weather we have been having this "summer" (Summer? Hah! Pfooey!), I was talking to a mate who had been trout fishing in the MacKenzie Basin (Inland of Dunedin) last week. He was saying that the station he had been staying on was in the middle of hay-making (normal this time of year, a nice summer-time pastime in rural NZ), but had to knock of for the arvo due to high winds (blowing away the windrows for those of you who know about haymaking)....so they went out in the calm the next morning to finish the baling, only to find 3inches of SNOW over everything!!

Ay caramba... that is the wierdest thing, snow while baling hay! Thank heavens I live up north.... where it has just been persistently cold and overcast, but at least never any snow to worry about. (yet)

Cheers,
Stu.

[Nicola]

Hey you must have our weather. It has been incredibly mild this year so far in the Scottish Borders. We have only had a couple of frosts no snow in site for this christmas. Some of the flowers from summer are still flowering. So send the snow over for 25th December, then you can have it back again on 26th December.

Nic

[veronica]

It was snow down to 700m yesterday!!

[Diny]

Certainly is weird weather !!!!!!

It's winter in the UK and places like the Scottish Borders are getting very mild weather, and it's summer in NZ and there's snow ????

Kind of backs up what I like to refer to as 'the great NZ climate swindle'.

Diny

[kiwi]

If this grey continues for much longer...oz is looking more and more desirable.

Summer stopped Jan 17th this year...(horrible summer/autumn/winter/spring!) and now it isnt arriving for this coming year...aargh,

scotland...send us your weather...it has to be better than this. Doing my head in.....If any of you are coming to Chch soon, can you pack some in your suitcases. I will pay!

Nicky

[Timbo]

If it is any consolation, it looks as if NI is also getting a rough time so far. Tauranga for instance has had loads of rain and wind. Chin up, it can only get better.

[veronica]

Its cold and raining with an expected high of 14!!!! and we have the prospect of the southerly wind coming in over the next few days and snow down to 'low levels'. So its likely to get even colder. Perhaps the people on the Port Hills will have a white xmas after all

[Gran]

This is scary, the temperature was twice as high this time last year, dont think I will run to Sydney though, they have had worse !!!

[Pakeha Boy]

Its happening innit.
The big one.
The last one.
The next ice age...

http://www.beyondcommunion.com/superstorm.html

[veronica]

well I'll be alright then...... anyone for snowboard gear!

[Juniper]

beautiful 70 degree (20 celcius), rose-blooming weather here in santa cruz...i think i'm just wearing longsleeves out of habit rather than necessity...man, i'll miss this climate.

hm, i guess that means the southern hemisphere xmas won't be all that weird for us... ;) same as here, just hit the mountains for some snow, right...

[veronica]

Umm... its really really depressing here today......expected high of 9 degrees and raining with a low, grey, flat sky. Think it would have perhaps been a good morning to have stayed in bed. :(

[Dave & Sandra]

Same here in Feilding. It rained all day yesterday :no and heat pumps going full blast last night. It was cold.

Today it's blowing a gale but is at least warmer and sunny.

Sandra

[toots]

This weather reminds me of late October in the UK. We've had some cracking thunderstorms recently and tropical downpours. Unfortunately these aren't being followed by brighter spells of weather.

We sat and watched Jaws last night wraped up in blankets and with the heater on.

[Arlevien]

I dont mind having a little drizzle. As long as it does not par with that of NY 20ft of snow in a day.

[Stu]

Still lousy weather... persistent SW set to the winds, and with the amount of snow down south, that means it is cold here in the north island too. Asparagus prodn is a JOKE... around 25% of what I would expect for this time of year... it is cooler now than it was in late september!

It is odd though... when the wind lets up, and the clouds clear off, then the sun is definitely HOT! As in, sunburn in 10mins hot,... until a cloud comes along, then, welcome back winter. Wierd.

Still, I am sure it will get better... looking forward to feb/march, as that is when we usually get our best, most stable weather. All feb-mar-april up here the weather was beaut, the fishing was excellent too, and that, basically, is pretty much all I care about! :-)

Where I am heading for in January, I can bank on it being warm though... the Solomon Ilands! Yaaaaaayyyy!!! 28degC water, palm trees, white coral sand etc etc etc.... bring it on pal, bring it ON!

cheers,
Stu.

[jo b]

Stu,

just what I want to here that is when we are going Mar/Apr..yippee.

Jo

[acisman]

Hi Stu

You have got me worried now. As you may remember from previous posting we are coming to your neck of the wood ( good old UK expression) next May/June. I have looked at the weather stats for Cambridge for this month and each day the maximum temperature has been in the upper 60's.

Is that average for this time of year or is in the fact that while the temperate may be OK, the wind factor makes it feel colder ? I can't believe there is still snow falling on South Island. Is that usual, or is it just a particularly strange spring/early summer ?

Dave

[Timbo]

You may have to bump up your prices to cover the Sollys trip Stu.
Summer is just around the corner for sure. Have a great xmas and new year. :cheers

[Rob K]

Check this out:

http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?yzf

Hope this might cheer some of you up...

Cheers,

Rob

[kiwi]

cor, no wonder you are leaving....that is scary!!!

Nic

[Timbo]

Thanks Rob. That has put things into perspective for me. No more moaning about it being a bit chilly now.

BRRRRRRRRR!! :eek

[Bubbles]

Ooohhhh, thats cold Rob

[Moorf]

On the news tonight 24th Dec one of the top stories was how tourists are leaving NZ in droves due to the awful weather. Feel terrible that our family hasn't had a nice sunny day on the beach :? BUT having said that we've been extremely lucky on the days where we went out for trips and stopover in the mountains so it wasnt a total disaster :?

[Wannaway]

I thought it was only the Brits whose main topic of conversation is the weather - I think I will strangle the next person who tells me "Four seasons in one day." We have had nothing but apologies from kiwis for the weather but to be honest I am not a great sun lover and worry about the kids with the harsh UV light here so it hasn't really bothered me - yet! A little less rain would be nice!
One new kiwi friend offered the advice "don't let the weather forecast stop you doing anything, just go prepared." So that is what we are doing. They may say showers and it might just rain for 15 mins. We are Brits and hardened against this kind of weather.

Let's just hope NZ doesn't see floods again like in early 2004!

Nicky

[veronica]

here we are in the middle of summer and I am trying to remember where the hotwater bottle could possibly be, its really chilly here in chch but it is supposed to get warmer tomorrow. (I blooming hope so)

[Pakeha Boy]

Quote from Shackleton the Antartic explorer:
"There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad planning"

[Dave & Sandra]

At least we have had two really good days. :yes We headed for Masterton on Thursday, as it had the highest temperature forecast, and we had a lovely day pottering around. It was a toss-up between New Plymouth and Masterton and the weather forecast won. I can really recommend the Cafe Solway at the Copthorne Hotel just on the southern outskirts of Masterton on SH2 - not too far from Wellington. There is a scouser running the bar there, who is oh so happy that they decided to emigrate to NZ. It seems that no matter where we go in the world , we always meet up with fellow Scousers :laugh

We carried on to Greytown, which has loads of antique shops and the White Swan for a drink on the verandah. Check out the huge magnolia outside the library - didn't know magnolias could grow so big. :eek

Anyway, we had a good day and saw a little bit more of NZ - must get to the South Island some time.

Sandra

[Diny]

Was watching Billy Connolly the other day, he was talking about the NZ weather. He says that he just doesn't get this obsession with weather and why the Kiwi's have to make out it's so important.

Like he said, it's only weather!!!

I don't care if it's a bright sunny day or pouring down. If I've set my heart on doing something or going somewhere, then I'll do it or go there.

Sure - warm and dry is best - but heck, so is filthy rich and I've about as much chance of experiencing that every day of the year too.

Diny

[Timbo]

LOL. Yeah, lets face it, if we all wanted wall to wall sunshine, we would be on another forum would`nt we.

[Wannaway]

I think one of the reasons Kiwis obsess about the weather is that they cherish their free time and want to make the most of it (generally speaking they do work very hard here).

Yesterday in Auckland was a typical day from what I can gather. Heavy shower for 15 mins, followed by blistering sunshine, followed by grey skies (but no rain) and a cold wind, followed by a blast of hot sunshine followed by rain, followed by.... etc etc!

I think the right attitude is to make your plans and try not to let the weather bother you, it is so changeable you would end up doing nothing most weekends otherwise.

The South Island does seem to have been unseaonably cold though, brrr!! Unfortunately it will probably stay colder than average, as the suurrounding sea temp has remianed consistently 3-4 degrees below norm (mini El Nino apparently). So we might as well make the best of what we have!

Lee & Nicky

[Diny]

Exactly !!!

Plan a day out - if you get good weather look upon it as a bonus.

If it rains .... tough !!!!

Diny

[Timbo]

Flooding in Otago causes road closures and stock losses; farmers advised to move animals to higher ground



8 January 2005

There are road closures and stock losses in Otago, with farmers on notice to move animals to higher ground.

Very heavy rain has been falling overnight in the upper Pomohaka catchment, spilling over into catchments west of Lawrence through to Alexandra.

The Otago Regional Council says tributaries of the Pomahaka River and also the Clutha River are in flood.

Duty Flood Manager Chris Arbuckle says that water is now working its way down the system.

There have been significant flows from Milton through to Roxburgh and water has drowned the measuring equipment in the Waitahuna River.

Mr Arbuckle says it will take about 15 hours for the flood to make its way down the catchment to Balclutha.

No special precautions are need there yet, but more advice will be issued as the morning goes on.

State Highway 8 between Roxburgh and Raes Junction (at SH8 and SH90) was closed last night and extreme care is needed on roads in the region, due to flooding.

[sweetpea]

Parts of Manawatu are flooding again too...

[veronica]

Its not only otago. our daughter has been involved in the scout camp near Fielding and had trouble getting out of there Thursday because of the flooding. She did get out eventually but it took her ages. lots of the scouts had to be hosted in the local school as there was so much water about.

[Bubbles]

08.01.05 3.15pm


All roads out of Wellington were closed by flash flooding for a period this morning.

State Highway 1 was closed by flooding at Paekakariki but was reopened to one lane early this afternoon, Wellington police said. Motorists were advised they faced lengthy delays getting in or out of the capital.

State Highway 2 over the Rimuntaka Hills reopened early afternoon after flooding closed the road at Kaitoke this morning.

Police said two alternative roads into Wellington -- the Paekakariki Hill road and the Akatarawa road -- remained closed.


Seems like NZ is gonna have another very wet summer

[veronica]

Thats why its all so green in the tourist pictures and the name of the long white cloud......where you've got cloud you've got potential rain.

[Timbo]

I have been led to believe that the east coast is pretty much sheltered from the worst rain fall by the mountains running up the backbone of the North island. The latest weather systems have disproved that myth.
Veronica. All the books I have read on the subject suggest that the "land of the long white cloud" bit stems from the first sighting of NZ from out at sea. The long white cloud in question was in fact the out pouring from a live volcano, possibly White island.
Any way, lets hope you get a summer down there some time soon. :hopeso :hopeso

[veronica]

No the east coast on the south island is definately drier than the ewst coast, the people over that side have webbed feet and gills.

[Arlevien]

With all the Flood news... Im definitely getting at least a 4WD small SUV ( ie. RAV4) or a mini-Van. With an inflatable boat and life vest on board! :mrgreen:

[Pakeha Boy]

When I was at school, they told us that at first the maoris just thought it was white cloud on the horizon, but it turned out to be the snow capped Southern Alps.

Any other shots at Aoteroas' origins?

[veronica]

And theres me thinking that the north island is the land of the long white cloud and the south island is the place of the green stones

I must say that I have yet to see Auckland from the plane as we fly in as so far 3 trips its been covered by cloud each time.