Latest news with #NorthIsland

RNZ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather live: Severe thunderstorm watch for top of North Island, heavy rain expected into Wednesday
Weather watches and warnings are in place for much of the North Island and the top of the South Island. Significant heavy rain and strong north to northeast winds are expected into Wednesday morning, with warnings of flash flooding and slips. Several schools have been closed in Northland, and Auckland's Harbour Bridge is under an amber alert due to high winds until at least Tuesday afternoon, with heavier rain forecast. MetService said the severe weather was caused by a front moving eastwards, and was expected to last into Wednesday morning Follow RNZ's live weather updateds at the top of this page. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

RNZ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather live: Severe thunderstorm watch for top of North Is, heavy rain expected into Wednesday
Weather watches and warnings are in place for much of the North Island and the top of the South Island. Significant heavy rain and strong north to northeast winds are expected into Wednesday morning, with warnings of flash flooding and slips. Several schools have been closed in Northland, and Auckland's Harbour Bridge is under an amber alert due to high winds until at least Tuesday afternoon, with heavier rain forecast. MetService said the severe weather was caused by a front moving eastwards, and was expected to last into Wednesday morning Follow RNZ's live weather updateds at the top of this page. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jewellery tycoon dies aged 86
Sir Michael Hill, owner of the multimillion-dollar jewellery chain of the same name, has died aged 86. The millionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist was born in New Zealand in 1938, mere months before the outbreak of the Second World War. According to a memoriam statement posted by Michael Hill International Limited, Sir Michael's first love was music. 'As a young man, he dreamt of becoming a concert violinist, however – at just 17 – he was told he had started too late to reach the pinnacle of his craft,' a spokesman wrote. Sir Michael was raised in Whangarei, on New Zealand's North Island, where he attended Whangarei Boys' High School until he was 16, at which point he elected to drop out. 'Forced to reconsider his future, he pivoted into the world of jewellery, joining his uncle's family-owned store in New Zealand.' Shortly after founding his own business alongside his wife Christine in 1979, Sir Michael decided they should expand into the Australian market. 'What began as a job soon became a passion. Sir Michael had a natural gift for storytelling, a keen eye for visual merchandising and an instinct for attracting customers and a gift for selling,' the spokesman said. 'He won international awards for his window displays and revolutionised the store's advertising with bold, unconventional campaigns.' Michael Hill Chairman Rob Fyfe said Michael brought a 'deep sense of purpose' and an 'enduring curiosity, open-mindedness and creativity' to everything he did. Sir Michael is survived by his wife, Lady Christine and their two children. More to come.

News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Globally renowned jewellery tycoon dies aged 86
Sir Michael Hill, owner of the multimillion-dollar jewellery chain of the same name, has died aged 86. The millionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist was born in New Zealand in 1938, mere months before the outbreak of World War II. According to a memoriam statement posted by Michael Hill International Limited, Sir Michael's first love was music. 'As a young man, he dreamt of becoming a concert violinist, however – at just 17 – he was told he had started too late to reach the pinnacle of his craft,' a spokesman wrote. Sir Michael was raised in Whangarei, on New Zealand's North Island, where he attended Whangarei Boys' High School until he was 16, at which point he elected to drop out. 'Forced to reconsider his future, he pivoted into the world of jewellery, joining his uncle's family-owned store in New Zealand.' Shortly after founding his own business alongside his wife Christine in 1979, Sir Michael decided they should expand into the Australian market. 'What began as a job soon became a passion. Sir Michael had a natural gift for storytelling, a keen eye for visual merchandising and an instinct for attracting customers and a gift for selling,' the spokesman said. 'He won international awards for his window displays and revolutionised the store's advertising with bold, unconventional campaigns.' Michael Hill Chairman Rob Fyfe said Michael brought a 'deep sense of purpose' and an 'enduring curiosity, open-mindedness and creativity' to everything he did. Sir Michael is survived by his wife, Lady Christine and their two children.

RNZ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Heavy rain could overwhelm north Waikato's drainage schemes, regional council says
The Ngati Maru Highway, which leads into the Thames township, flooded after heavy rain from Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman Forecast heavy rain could overwhelm north Waikato's drainage schemes, the regional council is warning. All of Waikato is under a heavy rain warning or watch, and severe wind watches are in place for some areas. Regional flood coordinator Rick Liefting said the heavy rain, which was expected to arrive early Tuesday morning, could "exceed the design" of Waikato Regional Council's land drainage schemes in the north. "That means surface water may not be removed within the three-day level of service. So landowners are advised to ensure stock is moved to higher ground or away from areas which may be isolated due to floodwaters," he said. "The Waikato region has received its fair share of rain over recent weeks and while the sunny weather over the past week has provided a welcome reprieve, our catchments remain saturated and river levels elevated. Any further rain will flow off the catchments and result in water courses rising quickly. "All our land drainage schemes are operating as they should, but will be working hard, with some potentially taking longer to drain water from paddocks." He warned that localised heavy rain could cause landslips, surface flooding and water courses to rise quickly, while the combination of saturated catchments and severe winds would increase the susceptibility for tree fall. "The forecast strong winds will cause coastal water levels to rise along with increased waves likely causing some minor coastal impacts along the southern Firth of Thames and eastern Coromandel Peninsula coasts," Liefting said. "We are also monitoring long-range forecasts, as any further events will compound impacts of this week's rain. "We have been working with our partner agencies, including civil defence emergency management, to ensure they are informed of the potential impacts of this week's forecast heavy rain." The council said people could visit its [ website] for further information, including links to water level and rainfall data. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.