Latest news with #Makgabutlane
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
New Zealand severe weather warnings: Heavy rain, thunderstorms expected across North and South Islands
New Zealand is bracing for a wet day on Friday (May 9, 2025) as a large weather system moves across the country. Large parts of the country will receive heavy rain, strong winds, and potential thunderstorms. MmetService has issued multiple warnings and watches for both the North and South Islands. #Operation Sindoor India-Pakistan Clash Live Updates| Missiles, shelling, and attacks — here's all that's happening Pakistani Air Force jet shot down in Pathankot by Indian Air Defence: Sources India on high alert: What's shut, who's on leave, and state-wise emergency measures The North Island will face the maximum brunt of the storm with orange heavy rain warnings and severe thunderstorm watches in place for several regions, while the South Island is also expected to experience heavy rainfall, particularly in the upper regions and the ranges. MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane explained that the weather system is moving across New Zealand, bringing northerly winds to the North Island and southerly winds to the South Island. GIF89a����!�,D; 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by "We've got a large weather system moving across us, bringing in that northerly wind for the North Island. However, in the South Island, it is moving up with more of a southerly wind, so it's kind of coming in from two different directions. But for the North Island, (it) is that warmer air that's in circulation, and those northerly winds and bringing in plenty of rain, but also plenty of rain for the South Island as well," she said. Northland is under an orange heavy rain warning, with expectations of 80 to 120mm of rain, which could go up to 150mm in a few areas due to downpours and possible thunderstorms. A strong wind watch and a thunderstorm watch are also in effect for the region. Rainfall could peak at up to 40mm an hour, and there was a small chance of the thunderstorm warning being upgraded to red. Live Events MetService urged Northland residents to clear drains and gutters, avoid low-lying areas, and drive cautiously. "Expect 80 to 120mm of rain, with possibly up to 150mm in localised areas, especially in downpours and possible thunderstorms." Makgabutlane cautioned about the potential for surface flooding due to intense bursts of rain. "With the heavy rain that's in place already, those shorter, intense bursts of rain could bring things like surface planning possibly," she added. New Zealand weather: Cities under watch Severe thunderstorm watches are in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula the Bay of Plenty, and Rotorua alongside existing alerts for Northland and Taranaki. There was a moderate chance of the rain watch being upgraded to a warning. Orange heavy rain warnings were issued for Northland, the Bay of Plenty, Tongariro National Park, and Mount Taranaki. Heavy rain watches are in effect for Coromandel, Waikato, western Bay of Plenty, and King Country. Heavy rain warnings are in place around Mt Taranaki, the area south of Lake Taupō and Bay of Plenty (east of Whakatane and Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti, north of Ruatoria). A severe thunderstorm watch is also in place in north Taranaki. The rain in Northland was just starting to arrive as of 7am local time , and heavy falls for Auckland were expected today into the afternoon and evening. Although there were no warnings for the lower North Island, including Wellington, Makgabutlane indicated it was expected to be a "pretty wet day" there, especially from late morning into the afternoon. "I'd say if you're in the North Island today, definitely keep an eye on the radar and the forecast. It is looking like a wet day out there." In the South Island, a heavy rain watch was in place for Nelson, northwest of Motueka, the Richmond and Bryant ranges and the Rai Valley. The ranges in Westland had an orange heavy rain warning, as did the headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers. The Canterbury High Country had a strong wind watch in place overnight. "For the South Island, the other place I'll highlight is the top of the South Island - so places like Buller, but especially Tasman and parts of Nelson as well, we're also seeing some heavy rain in that area with a couple of rain watches in place until the early afternoon," Makgabutlane said. MetService meteorologist Heather Keats said the strongest wind gust recorded was 150km/h in Methven high country. "As for the rain, Tasman District has received the most in the last sort of 6 to 12 hours, but actually Hokitika in the last hour had 23mm of rain," she said. Keats said as that front moves north, the South Island would get "a much brighter and calmer afternoon and evening".
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Weather: MetService warnings and watches as heavy rain set to batter NZ, Northland faces thunderstorms, Banks Peninsula in state of emergency
'We also know that rain may impact the slip at Lighthouse Rd.' Monitoring equipment would enable the council to make more informed decisions for residents in the primary and secondary evacuation zones, White said. Meanwhile, it will be a sodden commute for Aucklanders heading to work today. A heavy rain watch is in place from 6am for 12 hours, with possible thunderstorms throughout the day. MetService forecaster Mmathapelo Makgabutlane told the Herald 'the wettest of that rain looks like it's more like mid-morning to the middle of the day, maybe into early afternoon' for Auckland. 'Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria and possibly exceed them about isolated areas, especially in localised downpours,' MetService reported on its website. Makgabutlane said today 'looks like a pretty wet day for many parts of the North Island. I'd say as the day goes on, things become wetter'. 'Thunderstorms look possible, especially for places like Northland, and then down the western part of the South Island as well, especially in the morning,' she said. 'The main thing to highlight is the possibility of downpours, those short periods where the rainfall becomes quite intense and dumps quite a lot of rain in a very short space of time.' This could cause surface flooding, Makgabutlane said. The state of emergency for Banks Peninsula will be reassessed on Saturday. Heavy orange rain warnings across NZ MetService is encouraging people to keep a close eye on the forecast as things develop. The following severe weather alerts have been issued for the next 24-36 hours: Northland. 3am-5pm Friday. Northland could expect up to 150mm of rain in localised areas, especially in downpours and possible thunderstorms. A severe thunderstorm watch is also in force for the region. Bay of Plenty about and east of Whakatāne and Gisborne/Tairāwhiti north of Ruatoria. 3pm Friday to 3am Saturday. Expect 100-140mm of rain, mainly about the ranges. Tongariro National Park. 8am-8pm Friday. Expect 80-120mm of rain. Mount Taranaki/Taranaki Maunga. Midnight Thursday to 3pm Friday. Expect 150-250mm of rain. Westland District ranges. 9am Thursday to 6am Friday. Expect 140-180mm of rain in addition to what has already fallen. Headwaters of South Canterbury lakes and rivers. 10pm Thursday to 7am Friday. Expect 100-130mm of rain about the Main Divide and 70-100mm within 15km further east. Peak rates of 15-25mm/h are expected about the divide. Things set to clear for Mother's Day weekend Despite the unsettled end to the week, conditions are forecast to improve over the weekend with fine and mild weather expected across most of the country. Makgabutlane said this bad weather is 'looking fairly relatively short-lived, so by Saturday morning all this weather looks like it's cleared off the country and the weekend is looking pretty good'. MetService said Mother's Day is shaping up to be settled and sunny for most, though some regions may experience morning cloud or fog.
Otago Daily Times
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Snow and rain warnings for Canterbury, some Cook Strait ferries cancelled
Periods of heavy snow down to 800 metres is forecast for the Canterbury High Country, south of the Rangitata River, from 6pm today until 10am tomorrow. Snowfall amounts may approach warning criteria. The snow would be welcome news for ski fields, MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said. "At this early stage, I'm sure we'll definitely take any snow that we can get. However, it is quite unseasonal, so in terms of the ski fields, we'll definitely be crossing our fingers for more snowfall as the season goes on. "For places like Canterbury, it is looking like quite a long-lived wet weather story." MetService said the prolonged rain came after a wet start to the year, and warned it could lead to rapidly rising rivers, surface flooding and difficult driving conditions. Christchurch City Council contractors had been preparing ahead of the downpour, clearing gutters, sumps, stormwater grates and beach outfalls. The heaviest rainfall was expected in the western Port Hills and the southern part of Banks Peninsula, the council said. "It's a good idea to clear your rain guttering and drains and if you know there are leaves blocking sumps or drains by your property, it would help us if you could remove them, and put them in your green wheelie bin. "Our stormwater network is designed to cope with heavy rain and our road network is also part of our stormwater network playing an important role during wet weather events. In most parts of the city our roads have been designed as secondary flow paths for stormwater so in heavy rain its normal to see some flooding on our roads." The council was also managing water levels in the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River. "Residents along the upper and mid-reaches of the river can expect fluctuations of water levels at any time before, during and after the rainfall event, even during periods of dry weather. This is to reduce peak flood levels during the rainfall event by maximising the use of the storage volume in the basins," the council said. Makgabutlane said by the weekend, conditions should start clearing up. "It is expected to be at least a couple of days. And so today, Wednesday, we're expecting everything to really start kicking off. Tomorrow, Thursday, will be another day to keep a close eye on, as well as Friday. "But it does look like as we head into the weekend, most of the country should be rid of that weather and by Sunday, things are looking pretty good across the country." As a rule of thumb, big wind 🌬️ = big waves 🌊.Significant wave heights are forecast to reach 7-10 meters with a King Tide, the risk for coastal erosion & possible flooding is elevated. Stay up-to-date with marine forecasts & warnings from @MetService. — NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) April 29, 2025 Ferries cancelled Strong wind watches have been issued for the Buller, Grey, Westland and Nelson Lakes districts, the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island and and Wellington, along the south coast, including Wairarapa north of Castlepoint, in the North Island. Southeast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. MetService has issued heavy swell warnings for the 33-hour period between midday tomorrow until 9pm on Friday. Waves of 6 metres were forecast off Wellington - Cape Terawhiti to Turakirae Head from 3pm tomorrow until noon on Friday, while swells rising to 7 metres were expected off Wairarapa - Turakirae Head from midday tomorrow until 9pm on Friday. "This weather system that's bringing all of this weather that we're expecting is also going to be generating some large swells, but also the wind's generating some large waves on top of that and causing all sorts of problems and disruptions," Makgabutlane told RNZ's Morning Report programme. Interislander said it had cancelled crossings from 8.30pm today 2.30am on Friday, and there would be extra sailings put on over the weekend to accommodate passengers. More cancellations were likely on Friday if conditions did not improve. Bluebridge was cancelling sailings from 1.30pm today and all of tomorrow. Home Tunnel closures The Homer Tunnel on the Milford Road (SH94) in Southland is closing from 6.30pm to 3am for maintenance works from today until May 2, then from May 3-23 from 6pm until 3am. "No public access during these closures due to heavy equipment operating in tunnel." - Additional reporting APL
Otago Daily Times
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Cold blast for South Island, ferries cancelled
Periods of heavy snow down to 800 metres is forecast for the Canterbury High Country, south of the Rangitata River, from 6pm today until 10am tomorrow. Snowfall amounts may approach warning criteria. The snow would be welcome news for ski fields, MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said. "At this early stage, I'm sure we'll definitely take any snow that we can get. However, it is quite unseasonal, so in terms of the ski fields, we'll definitely be crossing our fingers for more snowfall as the season goes on. "For places like Canterbury, it is looking like quite a long-lived wet weather story." MetService said the prolonged rain came after a wet start to the year, and warned it could lead to rapidly rising rivers, surface flooding and difficult driving conditions. Christchurch City Council contractors had been preparing ahead of the downpour, clearing gutters, sumps, stormwater grates and beach outfalls. The heaviest rainfall was expected in the western Port Hills and the southern part of Banks Peninsula, the council said. "It's a good idea to clear your rain guttering and drains and if you know there are leaves blocking sumps or drains by your property, it would help us if you could remove them, and put them in your green wheelie bin. "Our stormwater network is designed to cope with heavy rain and our road network is also part of our stormwater network playing an important role during wet weather events. In most parts of the city our roads have been designed as secondary flow paths for stormwater so in heavy rain its normal to see some flooding on our roads." The council was also managing water levels in the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River. "Residents along the upper and mid-reaches of the river can expect fluctuations of water levels at any time before, during and after the rainfall event, even during periods of dry weather. This is to reduce peak flood levels during the rainfall event by maximising the use of the storage volume in the basins," the council said. Makgabutlane said by the weekend, conditions should start clearing up. "It is expected to be at least a couple of days. And so today, Wednesday, we're expecting everything to really start kicking off. Tomorrow, Thursday, will be another day to keep a close eye on, as well as Friday. "But it does look like as we head into the weekend, most of the country should be rid of that weather and by Sunday, things are looking pretty good across the country." As a rule of thumb, big wind 🌬️ = big waves 🌊.Significant wave heights are forecast to reach 7-10 meters with a King Tide, the risk for coastal erosion & possible flooding is elevated. Stay up-to-date with marine forecasts & warnings from @MetService. — NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) April 29, 2025 Ferries cancelled Strong wind watches have been issued for the Buller, Grey, Westland and Nelson Lakes districts, the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island and and Wellington, along the south coast, including Wairarapa north of Castlepoint, in the North Island. Southeast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. MetService has issued heavy swell warnings for the 33-hour period between midday tomorrow until 9pm on Friday. Waves of 6 metres were forecast off Wellington - Cape Terawhiti to Turakirae Head from 3pm tomorrow until noon on Friday, while swells rising to 7 metres were expected off Wairarapa - Turakirae Head from midday tomorrow until 9pm on Friday. "This weather system that's bringing all of this weather that we're expecting is also going to be generating some large swells, but also the wind's generating some large waves on top of that and causing all sorts of problems and disruptions," Makgabutlane told RNZ's Morning Report programme. Interislander said it had cancelled crossings from 8.30pm today 2.30am on Friday, and there would be extra sailings put on over the weekend to accommodate passengers. More cancellations were likely on Friday if conditions did not improve. Bluebridge was cancelling sailings from 1.30pm today and all of tomorrow. Home Tunnel closures The Homer Tunnel on the Milford Road (SH94) in Southland is closing from 6.30pm to 3am for maintenance works from today until May 2, then from May 3-23 from 6pm until 3am. "No public access during these closures due to heavy equipment operating in tunnel." - Additional reporting APL
RNZ News
29-04-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather: Heavy rain, snow to bring chilly temperatures for parts of South Island
Christchurch and Canterbury south of Amberley is under a heavy rain watch, while there's a heavy snow watch for the high country south of the Rangitata River. Photo: MetService A multi-faceted weather system is on its way to parts of the country, bringing rain, snow and wind and chilly temperatures. MetService has issued orange heavy rain warnings for Banks Peninsula and the region north of Amberley, and the Kaikoura Coast and ranges from Wednesday. There are also road snowfall warnings for the Porter's and Arthurs Passes. Christchurch and Canterbury south of Amberley is under a heavy rain watch, while there's a heavy snow watch for the high country south of the Rangitata River. There are strong wind watches for the Buller, Grey, Westland and Nelson Lakes districts and the Marlborough Sounds. MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the weather system was "multi-faceted." "From rain to wind to snow for some inland parts of Canterbury, and associated drops in temperatures." Further north along the Kaikoura Coast and ranges the rain warning begins around midday Wednesday and runs until Friday morning, bringing around 150 to 200 millimetres of rain. Makgabutlane said coming after a wet start to the year, the prolonged rain could lead to rapidly rising rivers, surface flooding and difficult driving conditions. She warned parts of the South Island are in for particularly cold weather from late Wednesday into Thursday, and single-digit maximum temperatures are expected on Thursday with highs of around 8 degrees Celsius for parts of inland Otago, while Canterbury should expect maximums of 9 or 10 degrees. Most of the wet weather should clear for Canterbury by Saturday, with one or two showers possible towards the end of the weekend, she said. Parts of the country are also in for very windy conditions. The western part of the South Island will see south-easterly winds, and some areas, particularly through narrower valleys, could see periods of "quite gusty south easterlies ripping though there", Makgabutlane said. People should take time to prepare, tying down any loose items. The Marlborough Sounds and Wellington should also expect high winds. "Winds are just part of life for Wellington, but we're seeing unusually windy conditions from late Wednesday into Thursday." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
