Latest news with #TasmanSea
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather: Orange rain warnings, strong winds, thunderstorms forecast as winter blast arrives
The country is about to be "plunged into winter" with snow to sea level possible in Canterbury and Otago by the weekend, MetService says. A long list of of rain and wind warnings and watches are in place as a winter blast is set to converge on both islands. It's coming from across the Tasman Sea and bringing heavy rain, gale-force winds, and potential snow . Today's rain radar map Photo: Screenshot / MetService The South Island's orange-level rain warnings cover the Tasman District, west of Motueka, from 6am on Wednesday; and Marlborough, northwest of the Richmond Range, and Nelson, east of the city, from 9am. Orange warnings for the North Island kick in for Taranaki Maunga from 7am; Northern Taihape and the southern parts of Taupō and Taumarunui from 10am; the Tararua Range from 11am. Most of these places can expect up to 150mm of rain with peak intensities of 20-30mm per hour, though the upper slopes of Taranaki Maunga could see heavier rain of up to 220mm. A further orange heavy rain warning is in place for Bay of Plenty, east of Whakatāne, and inland Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti from 8pm on Wednesday into Thursday morning. Heavy rain watches are in place for Fiordland, north of Breaksea Sound, overnight; and Horowhenua, Kāpiti Coast and Wellington from Wednesday morning. Similar watches are in effect from Wednesday afternoon for Northland, Auckland and Great Barrier Island; Buller and Grey Districts south of Karamea; and Westland District, north of Fox Glacier. There's a long list of weather warnings and watches covering most of the country for the next few days. Photo: Screenshot / MetService MetService meteorologist Heather Keats described the list of warnings and watches as "huge" as the system begins to affect the country. She said "significant" wind and rain watches were in place, with some areas under orange rain warnings. "There's also thunderstorms again tied up in this system. So as the fronts travel across, they're going to possibly bring more downpours and we're expecting them to spark up from this afternoon... "We're talking again from about Westland all the way up the west of the entire North Island and as far east as Bay of Plenty." They could deliver up to 40mm of rain in an hour, Keats said, and a potential for flooding. "That warm northerly system meets a very biting southerly and that's when the snow kicks off from about midnight tonight." Canterbury, excluding Banks Peninsula, was under a heavy snow watch, with snow expected to fall above 300m, Keats said. There was the potential for snow at sea level for Otago and Canterbury from overnight on Friday. "So Christchurch, Dunedin you could be seeing some snow for winter as early as Friday night, Saturday. "It does feel like we're going to be plunged into winter because this biting southerly is for the entire country." It meant temperatures would be much colder than usual for this time of year, she said. Strong winds were expected for Wellington, Taranaki, Auckland and Northland. It might make conditions difficult for commuters in major cities, such as Auckland, Keats said. It was unlikely the rain warnings would be upgraded to red although it paid to keep an eye on the rain radar, she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Australia demands China explain ‘biggest military build-up since Second World War'
Australia's defence minister called on China to explain its massive military build-up, claiming it was sparking concern in the region due to a lack of transparency. Richard Marles urged Beijing to offer strategic assurance about its defence policies. 'What we have seen from China is the single biggest increase in military capability and build-up in conventional sense by any country since the end of the Second World War, ' Mr Marles said on Sunday. 'It is the fact that it is happening without strategic reassurance. It's happening without a clear strategic intent on the part of China. What we want to see is strategic transparency and strategic reassurance be provided by China and an understanding of why it is needed to have such an extraordinary military build-up.' He pointed to Australia as a model of transparency, claiming that Canberra publicly shared its defence strategy and reviews to make it 'utterly clear' that its military build-up was meant to ensure security for the country and the region more broadly. 'So, there is total strategic clarity and assurance that is being provided by Australia to our neighbours, to the region, to the world. That's what we would like to see,' he said. Mr Marles said China 's recent military exercise near Australia and New Zealand was 'disruptive' and 'could have been done in a better way' but added that ultimately ' China was acting in accordance with international law'. In February, China's military exercise in the Tasman Sea, involving three naval ships and possibly live fire, prompted flight diversions between Australia and New Zealand. Australia called the manoeuvres 'unusual', while China maintained they were lawful and in international waters. At the time, China's foreign ministry confirmed that it was carrying out naval training and exercises in 'distant waters'. A spokesman, Guo Jiakun, said the drills were conducted safely, 'in professional manner' and in line with international laws and norms. Mr Marles emphasised the importance of upholding a rules-based order. 'The guiding light, the bedrock here, needs to be compliance with international law. That's what we keep talking about, is the rules-based order,' he said. On calls for Indo-Pacific allies of America to boost defence spending amid China's rise, Mr Marles said Australia was 'taking steps' and 'up for it' though it hadn't yet committed to president Donald Trump's push for increasing military spending to 3 per cent of the national GDP. China earlier rejected US defence secretary Pete Hegseth 's warning of a 'real' and 'potentially imminent' threat from Beijing, calling his claim groundless. Beijing also accused the US of being the 'biggest troublemaker' for regional peace. The Chinese embassy in Singapore said on Facebook that the speech was 'steeped in provocations and instigation' and that Mr Hegseth had 'repeatedly smeared and attacked China and relentlessly played up the so-called 'China threat''. 'As a matter of fact, the US itself is the biggest 'troublemaker' for regional peace and stability,' the embassy said. 'What the US now offers the most to the world is 'uncertainty'. The country claims to safeguard peace and not to seek conflicts. We've heard it. Let's see what moves will it take.'
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Australia's defense minister urges greater military openness from China
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles on Saturday urged greater transparency from China over its military modernization and deployments as Pacific nations brace for a more assertive Chinese presence. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense meeting in Singapore, Marles said that while China remains an important strategic partner to Australia, more open communication between the two nations is key for a 'productive' relationship. 'When you look at the growth in the Chinese military that has happened without a strategic reassurance, or a strategic transparency.... we would like to have a greater transparency in what China is seeking to do in not only its build up, but in the exercises that it undertakes,' said Marles. 'We want to have the most productive relationship with China that we can have ... we hope that in the context of that productive relationship, we can see greater transparency and greater communication between our two countries in respect of our defense.' Both Australia and New Zealand raised concerns in February after three Chinese warships conducted unprecedented live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea. Both nations complained of late notice over the drills by China, which led to the diversion of 49 commercial flights. Marles said that while the drills were in accordance with international law, China should have been less disruptive. He also said Australia was able to closely scrutinize the Chinese task-force. 'It's fair to say that this was done in a bigger way than they have done before, but equally, that was meant from our point of view, by a much greater degree of surveillance than we've ever done,' he said. 'From the moment that Chinese warships came within the vicinity of Australia, they were being tailed and tracked by Australian assets ... we were very clear about what exercises China was undertaking and what capability they were seeking to exercise and to build.' Chinese officials have signaled that more such exercises could be expected as it was routine naval activity in international waters. Defense analysts say the exercises underscore Beijing's ambition to develop a global navy that will be able to project power into the region more frequently. Australia has in recent times pledged to boost its missile defense capability amid China's nuclear weapons buildup and its blue-water naval expansion, as the country targets to increase its defense spending from roughly 2 percent of GDP currently to 2.4 percent by the early 2030s. The nation is scheduled to pay the United States $2 billion by the end of 2025 to assist its submarine shipyards, in order to buy three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines starting in 2032 - its biggest ever defense project.
Daily Telegraph
6 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Telegraph
Weather: NSW beaches brace for hazardous south swell
Don't miss out on the headlines from Environment. Followed categories will be added to My News. Large and hazardous surf is forecast to batter the NSW coastline over the coming days, as two powerful swell systems move in rapid succession across the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean. According to Weatherzone, the first swell arrived on Wednesday morning, generated by a deep Tasman low spinning between NSW and New Zealand. Wave buoys recorded a sharp increase in swell height near Sydney shortly after sunrise, with significant wave heights jumping from about 1m to more than 2m within a matter of hours. Large and hazardous surf is forecast to batter the NSW coastline over the coming days. Picture: Weatherzone This system, combined with gale to storm-force winds over the Tasman, is expected to produce peak wave heights of 4.5 to 5m along the lower Mid North Coast, Hunter, Sydney, and Illawarra coastlines. Maximum wave heights could exceed 10m in exposed offshore areas. With peak wave periods reaching up to 15 seconds, forecasters warn of dangerous conditions for swimmers, surfers, and boaters, particularly on south-facing beaches. The risk of coastal erosion is also high, intensified by recent heavy swell events and large high tides. The satellite image shows a deep Tasman low and powerful Southern Ocean cold front. Picture: Weatherzone The first swell is expected to ease by Friday, with wave heights dropping to about 1.5 to 2m, but more powerful surf is on the way. A second system, originating deep in the Southern Ocean, is forecast to arrive on Saturday, driven by storm-force winds more than 2500km south of Australia. This long-period swell will bring deceptively strong waves to the NSW coast despite reduced heights of about 2m. The second swell is forecast to have an extended wave period, peaking between 17 and 18 seconds, allowing powerful wave energy to reach up to 150m further inland along the shoreline. The deep low in the Tasman Sea is generating gale to storm-force winds over a broad area of the ocean. Picture: Weatherzone Weatherzone warns this could cause abnormally large waves every five to 10 minutes, catching swimmers off guard in otherwise calm conditions. The combination of extended wave periods and strong rip currents could make for hazardous conditions through the weekend, even at more sheltered beaches and bays. Beachgoers are urged to follow advice from Surf Life Saving NSW and to avoid swimming at unpatrolled beaches during dangerous surf conditions. Originally published as Twin ocean swells to deliver massive, dangerous surf this week
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Twin ocean swells to deliver massive, dangerous surf this week
Large and hazardous surf is forecast to batter the NSW coastline over the coming days, as two powerful swell systems move in rapid succession across the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean. According to Weatherzone, the first swell arrived on Wednesday morning, generated by a deep Tasman low spinning between NSW and New Zealand. Wave buoys recorded a sharp increase in swell height near Sydney shortly after sunrise, with significant wave heights jumping from about 1m to more than 2m within a matter of hours. This system, combined with gale to storm-force winds over the Tasman, is expected to produce peak wave heights of 4.5 to 5m along the lower Mid North Coast, Hunter, Sydney, and Illawarra coastlines. Maximum wave heights could exceed 10m in exposed offshore areas. With peak wave periods reaching up to 15 seconds, forecasters warn of dangerous conditions for swimmers, surfers, and boaters, particularly on south-facing beaches. The risk of coastal erosion is also high, intensified by recent heavy swell events and large high tides. The first swell is expected to ease by Friday, with wave heights dropping to about 1.5 to 2m, but more powerful surf is on the way. A second system, originating deep in the Southern Ocean, is forecast to arrive on Saturday, driven by storm-force winds more than 2500km south of Australia. This long-period swell will bring deceptively strong waves to the NSW coast despite reduced heights of about 2m. The second swell is forecast to have an extended wave period, peaking between 17 and 18 seconds, allowing powerful wave energy to reach up to 150m further inland along the shoreline. Weatherzone warns this could cause abnormally large waves every five to 10 minutes, catching swimmers off guard in otherwise calm conditions. The combination of extended wave periods and strong rip currents could make for hazardous conditions through the weekend, even at more sheltered beaches and bays. Beachgoers are urged to follow advice from Surf Life Saving NSW and to avoid swimming at unpatrolled beaches during dangerous surf conditions.
