Gales, snow for two days
Weather alert: Southerly blast
A COLD southerly blast will bring galeforce winds and snow to low levels across much of Otago and Southland during the next two days.
The MetService has issued a severe weather watch for coastal Dunedin and Clutha. South to southwesterly winds are expected to strengthen this evening, approaching severegale force in exposed areas overnight.
Snow is expected to fall to 200m across inland Otago, the Southern Lakes, Southland and Fiordland with heavy falls expected above 400m.
Travel on some alpine roads could be disrupted. Snowfall warnings have been issued for the Lindis Pass, Crown Range Rd and Milford Rd from this afternoon until tomorrow morning.
Between 3cm and 6cm of snow is expected to settle on the Crown Range and Lindis Pass above 500m and lesser amounts to 300m this afternoon and early tomorrow morning.
More snow is expected to fall tomorrow afternoon and evening.
MetService meteorologist Melissa Oosterwijk said the cold front would move over the southern part of the South Island from this afternoon, dumping snow as it continued north over the island.
Nowhere would be spared from the bitterly cold weather.
While it was unlikely areas right on the coast would see snow, it would still be wet and very cold, she said.
‘‘Because it’s a cold front approaching from the south it will be chilly, to say the least, even without the snow.’’
While the southerly would mean an end to the still conditions and subzero temperatures inland during the last week, it would still be very cold in Central Otago and the Southern lakes, Ms Oosterwijk said.
Low cloud which had been hanging around in some valleys causing hoar frosts would disperse but would be replaced with snow and rain.
‘‘There will be cloud, there will be snow and if you’re not getting snow you’re getting rain, which might wash out some of the low cloud which has been hanging around.’’
Before the snow, some areas could expect heavy rain and possibly thunderstorms, she said.
Heavy rain was likely to fall in the southern fiords, Southland and Clutha, where there was also a moderate risk of thunderstorms.
There was also a low risk of thunderstorms over the remainder of Fiordland and Otago.
GISBORNE: A family huddled on the roof of their Tolaga Bay home yesterday morning, clinging for safety as water rose around them.
A woman, her partner and their 4yearold granddaughter had no choice but to climb on to the roof while they waited for a rescue helicopter to arrive as water smashed against their home.
The woman said they woke at 3.30am to the sound of water lapping around their home because of torrential rain flooding the area north of Gisborne.
‘‘I made a coffee and we were just about to sit down and then all we heard was like a jet taking off and this rumbling . . . Then the water level rose within 10 minutes and rushed up to armpit level,’’ the grandmother said.
By 4am the situation had worsened.
Logs crashed through the windows and doors of the house.
The woman’s partner broke a hole in the roofing over their deck and the woman climbed through on to the roof before hauling her granddaughter up.
They huddled on the roof until 7am, when they could see the extent of the devastation. The house was in the middle of the water and ‘‘it was like we were on a deserted island’’.
Cars and tractors could be seen floating down the river and houses occupied by family members on the same farm were also destroyed.
‘‘All the wood, the logs and slash just crashed through the side of the house. It was just everywhere, everywhere . . . Dog kennels, boat, the woolshed was all gone. Powerpole lines were washed away.’’
They had been cold and wet as they sheltered under some broken clear polycarbonate roofing. And while their house had been damaged, they were just grateful to have each other.
St John paramedic Shane Clapperton said it was still dark when St John received the call for help. Rescuers had to wait until daylight, and for the rain to subside, before embarking on the rescue mission.
The only way to rescue the family was to airlift them from their rooftop in a helicopter.
Mr Clapperton said the family did everything correctly and the water ended up rushing through the house and was 1m away from reaching them.
He was able to get from the helicopter on to the family’s home, then assist them off the roof.
‘‘It looks like there’s been a logjam and that’s built up the water and the water has flooded through that valley, sending thousands of logs down the valley and into this family’s home, as well as the water that ended up rushing through the house.’’
He said there was a lot of water around and that particular valley had taken the brunt of it. One of the family member’s vehicles was found about 1km down the river.
Eastland Community Trust Rescue Helicopter duty pilot Hamish Ramsay said there was no other way the family could have escaped except by chopper.
‘‘It had pretty much peaked by the time we got there.’’
From the helicopter he could see debris everywhere.
‘‘There were vehicles and tractors and whatnot spewing all down the river.’’
He did not get a chance to speak to the family, but noted they were very wet and cold, especially the child.
Tolaga Bay river levels dropped dramatically yesterday afternoon.
The Hikuwai River at Willow Flat, north of Tolaga Bay, rose from an average height of 2m to 12.6m at 7am. It was at 6.5m at 2pm yesterday.
Forecasters say more bad weather is coming.
An earlier heavy rain watch for Auckland yesterday was upgraded yesterday afternoon by the MetService to a weather warning, in place until 8am today.
Other parts of the North Island including Northland, Coromandel, the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne are under watch for heavy rain.
Over the weekend, Auckland received an average of 60mm of rainfall in 60 hours, while Tauranga had 103mm of rain and Waikato 37.4mm.
Katikati recorded the most rainfall with 163mm falling in 60 hours.
Most of Auckland’s rain fell on Sunday morning. Areas recorded between 40mm and 100mm of rain with places in the north and east receiving the highest totals. The latest warning in place for Auckland was forecasting between 60mm and 100mm last night.
The weather would start improving for Auckland from this afternoon, with most of the bad weather scheduled for the rest of the week expected to flip and hit the South Island, MetService shift meteorologist Claire Flynn said. — NZME
❛ There were vehicles and tractors and whatnot spewing all down the river