MetService issues Severe Weather Warnings, Red Warning for Buller and Westland
UPDATE
July 15 4:44pm
A rare Red Weather warning has been issued for Buller and Westland from 9pm tonight until early Saturday.
The current warning in place forecasts between 300mm and 400mm of rain to fall in the region, almost twice its monthly rainfall. Peak rates of 20-30mm per hour is set to fall on Friday afternoon.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said that there would be significant impact on West Coast communities and transport links to other regions, with the possibility of roads becoming impassable and possibly isolating communities.
"We are asking people to act now to keep themselves and their whānau safe and to heed the advice of authorities," adds Ferris. "Anyone with travel plans in Westland and Buller on Friday and Saturday are urged to keep up to date with road information from Waka Kotahi NZTA. This is especially relevant due to the school holidays bringing more families to the West Coast."
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MetService has issued several severe weather warnings for regions in the South Island and central New Zealand.
An active front is moving slowly across southern and central New Zealand today, bringing with it heavy rain in western areas and northerly, gale force winds for central regions.
In a statement, MetService said rain across Westland to northwest of Nelson is set to be significant, with the potential for flooding and disruptions for commuters.
Severe northerly gales are forecast in Wellington, with the agency informing residents to expect power outages and damage to insecure structures.
The Orange Weather Warnings affect the following areas:
Orange Rain Warning:
- Nelson west of Motueka from 6am Friday. Valid from 6am Friday
- Buller. Valid from 1pm Thursday
- Western ranges of Marlborough including the Richmond and Bryant ranges. Valid from 4pm Friday
- The headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers from the Rakaia river northwards. From 11pm Thursday
- Westland north of Fox Glacier. Valid from 6pm Thursday
- The headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers between Mount Cook and the Rakaia river. Valid from 4am Friday.
- Westland south of Fox Glacier. Valid from 9pm Thursday
Orange Wind Warning:
- Taranaki Region: gusts up to 120kmh in exposed places. Valid from 8pm Friday
- Marlborough Region: gusts of 120kmh. Valid from 1pm Friday
- Wellington, and Wairarapa south of Featherston: north to northwest severe gales gusting 140 kmh in exposed areas. Valid from 3pm Friday
For more information and to keep up to date with any developments, visit the MetService's warning page.
Neighbourly will update this message as further information is released from the MetService wire.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.3% Yes
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15.2% No
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2.6% Other - I'll share below