NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

Metservice has issued heat alerts for hotspots across the country as temperatures are forecast to soar on Friday.

The alerts were in place for Whakatāne, Napier, Hastings, Motueka, Blenheim and Kaikōura, where temperatures in the low to mid thirties were expected.

Metservice meteorologist Samkelo Magwala said alerts were issued when the forecasted temperature exceeded the normal average for two consecutive days.

Magwala said alerts were issued the day before the heat was due to strike – and there would likely be more to follow on Friday and Saturday.

Hastings could hit a whopping 37C over the weekend as hot air from a heatwave in Australia blankets the east coast of New Zealand.

MetService is predicting that many areas will be warm on Thursday, with the weekend reaching temperatures over 30C.

The hottest areas are expected to be the East Cape of the North Island, Gisborne, Wairoa and Hastings.

Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said the council was working to ensure residents were prepared.

“Because this can be really dangerous heat, and I don’t think many people are used to it, so the big message we are trying to get out to people is make sure on those really hot days you are drinking plenty of water, taking breaks in the shade and avoiding the hottest part of the day if you can.”

She said the community needed to look out for each other, particularly older people, infants and toddlers who were the most susceptible to heat.

Schollum said fire risk was also a major concern.

“We really need everyone to be conscious, please please please be careful, no fire, we’ve got a complete fire restriction at the moment, if you’ve got fireworks stocked away, no setting those off right now.

“And just also being conscious of anything else you might be doing that could potentially spark a fire, whether that’s using machinery or any of those sorts of activities.”

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor seconded that sentiment and said it was a risky time for spot fires.

“We are really encouraging people to make sure they have an awareness, obviously of not light fires, but also an awareness if they are using lawnmowers, chainsaws anything that might spark or set off a fire.”

Taylor reminded people that the Wither Hills Farm Park closed when the fire risk was too high.

Meanwhile, in the capital about a hundred people are were soaking up the sun at Oriental Bay.

It’s a warm day in Wellington with MetService picking the temperature could hit 24C in the city.

Eight-year-old Eyt said she and her father James came from Stokes Valley in Lower Hutt to hit the beach.

She said the weather is hot, but the water is still “freezing”.

FENZ warns against complacency

Fire and Emergency warned people were getting complacent and ignoring safety warnings.

Wildfire manager for Fire and Emergency Tim Mitchell told Morning Report incoming winds and hot temperatures would create the “perfect storm” for a fire to start and spread, particularly in the Hawke’s Bay region.

“Over the weekend conditions are really going to ramp up, as a result of an approaching weather system from the west a westerly flow is going to set up… under that westerly flow we are likely going to reduce humidity in those areas, it could go below that 30 percent maybe getting into the low 20’s as well.”

Mitchell said most of New Zealand’s fires were caused by human related activities, so people needed to be cautious when doing anything that could create a spark.

He urged people to avoid activities that could spark a wildfire, including welding, grinding, using cookers and mowing lawns.

“We’re asking the public to accept that there are times when we aren’t able to do these things and actually follow the advice and don’t do those activities during high-risk periods.

“Obviously, it’s the weekend, which is when people mow their lawns. But we need your flexibility around not undertaking high-risk activities.”

Check the checkitsalright website if you were unsure of anything, Mitchell said.

Influx of beachgoers

Surf Lifesaving is preparing for a swarm of beachgoers with hot weather expected across the country.

Surf Lifesaving’s Chris Emmet said it was expecting a busy weekend across its 90 patrolled locations around the country, with hot weather bringing big numbers of people to the beach.

“Lifeguards look forward to this time of year, when there is quite a bit of activity around the beach. We’re really well prepared across the country.”

Emmet said Auckland’s West Coast beaches often saw big crowds and also a high number of incidents.

“The biggest concern for us is people finding a location to swim that’s safe for them. If you’re really hot in Auckland over the next few days, the East Coast will generally be safer than the West Coast.”

He stressed the importance of swimming at patrolled beaches between the flags.

“Patrol hours are generally 10am to 6pm, but some patrols do run a bit later, and if there are big crowds, lifeguards will stay on for a bit longer.”

Hot nights ahead

To add to the high daytime temperatures, MetService said it wouldn’t cool much at night.

“It affects sleep; people can’t sleep well and the body can’t get rest,” MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor told RNZ.

She urged people to keep an eye on heat alerts, especially those working outside as temperatures mount.

“So the weekend is looking hot. That might be great news for people who have been back at work this week and are looking to get to the beach. But it is tough on people working in the heat.”

The temperatures will be mounting but MetService is not expecting them to quite hit the highs of the past. Ruatoria recorded the North Island’s highest January temperature in 1979 when it hit 38.9C.

Highest is expected to be Hastings on 37C on Sunday.

In the South Island, the highest temperatures will also be along the eastern coast with Christchurch, Kaikoura and Timaru forecast to get steadily hotter over the next few days reaching just over 30C throughout the weekend.

Australia’s heatwave driving up New Zealand temperatures

The warm weather is being driven by a heatwave in south-eastern Australia where on Wednesday the region sweltered through its hottest day in years. Firefighters in Victoria and Western Australia continue to battle out-of-control blazes.

Some towns recorded their warmest maximum temperatures in seven years, including Whyalla (45.8 degrees Celsius), Port Augusta (46.3C) and Port Lincoln (44.5C) in South Australia and Warrnambool (41.3C) in Victoria.

Melbourne reached a top of 41C, its highest in six years, while Adelaide recorded a peak of 43C.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Prime Minister is working from home as the year gets underway, with Parliament not set to return until the end of the month.

Ahead of the summer break, Christopher Luxon told Newstalk ZB he expected to be back at work the first week of January, as he had spent much of his career working overseas where the holiday breaks were shorter.

“In the US you maybe get two weeks’ annual leave holiday and Christmas is a couple of days off and you’re back at it again,” Luxon said.

“I’ve always been used to going back to work on the 3rd or 4th of January.”

Luxon has not released any statements on Venezuela, with foreign affairs minister Winston Peters leading the government’s communications instead.

Luxon’s only social media posts this year have been to wish the country a happy new year, and a video from December’s press conference announcing free trade negotiations with India had concluded.

Asked by RNZ whether Luxon was back at work, what he was doing, and where he was working from, a spokesperson said Luxon was in Auckland working from home, planning for the year ahead.

Parliament will resume sitting on 27th January. It will sit for one week before breaking for a week-long recess, which will include Waitangi Day.

Before Parliament resumes, Luxon will deliver a State of the Nation speech, and National’s caucus will meet for its annual retreat.

While it is possible Luxon will announce the election date at one of those events, a cabinet reshuffle is not expected.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire and Emergency is warning Cantabrians of extreme fire danger this Sunday as parts of the country are set to swelter under high temperatures.

Canterbury is currently in a restricted fire season, which requires people to apply for permits to light open air fires. However, all permits will be suspended from midnight Friday until 8am on Monday.

The move comes as an intense heatwave in south-eastern Australia fuels hot air across parts of New Zealand.

While the hottest temperatures are expected in the East Cape of the North Island, Gisborne, Wairoa and Hastings, the east of the South Island is also in for above average temperatures.

Blenheim, Kaikoura, Christchurch and Invercargill are all expecting temperatures in the mid to late 20s on Thursday (3 to 5C above average), while Blenheim is forecast to hit 32C on Friday – 7.5C above average.

MetService is predicting a high of 32C for Christchurch and strong northwesterlies on Sunday.

FENZ Canterbury assistant commander Brian Keown said the combination of expected high nor’west winds, high temperatures into the early 30s and low relative humidity made for a high risk situation.

Relatively high grass “curing” (drying out) of 60 to 70 percent, in some cases higher, meant any spark of a fire would move relatively quickly with the wind pushing it along, he said.

FENZ deputy chief executive of prevention Nick Pyatt said the greatest risk was in Canterbury, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Tai Rāwhiti, and Northland districts.

“This weekend, many parts of the country will be experiencing elevated fire danger conditions, with temperatures expected to surpass 30C in some locations, wind gusts of 30km/h at times, and low humidity.

“These conditions are what we call a perfect storm for wildfire risk.”

Pyatt said it only took one spark to start a wildfire that could get out of control quickly.

According to a FENZ research report, more than half of all wildfires in New Zealand are grass fires – the higher the curing, the greater the fire risk.

Keown was confident FENZ had sufficient resources, and was getting in touch with contractors, volunteers and specialist personnel to let them know of the weekend’s high risk potential.

He said people should not hesitate to call 111 at the first sign of smoke.

Anyone who had used a burn pile in recent weeks should check it was thoroughly extinguished, Keown said.

“One of our biggest risks and causes of fires in the last few months have been permitted – or non permitted burns in the open season – that had not been properly put out, and the wind has got in amongst it and pushed embers into vegetation.

“That’s a real risk for us and there’s been too much of it going on.”

FENZ had put a lot of “time and effort educating people that if they have been burning to ensure their fires are out”, he said.

Anyone who had burnt in the past two to three weeks should go out, inspect their heaps and give them a good rake over and ensure they were fully extinguished, Keown said.

A wildfire that destroyed four homes, 29 structures and spread over an area of almost 200 hectares in Kaikōura in October was caused by a burn pile.

Almost 200 volunteer firefighters worked over six days to extinguish the fires amid winds of 150 kilometres an hour.

A FENZ spokesperson said it did not pursue a prosecution against the owner of the burn pile because it was an open fire season when the blaze began.

Last year was the country’s fourth-hottest year on record, according to Earth Sciences New Zealand’s (ESNZ) annual climate report.

Meanwhile, FENZ reminded people that firefighters in the union would be striking for one hour on Friday from 12pm-1pm.

Volunteers will respond to incidents – but ther will be delays.

“Fire and Emergency urges the NZPFU to call off its strike given heightened fire risks and the fact both parties are due to meet for facilitation later this month.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 100 properties in the Wellington suburb of Kingston will be without water for at least six hours today due to a burst pipe.

Wellington Water said the pipe burst on Kingston Heights Road at about 11.30am.

“In order to protect the stormwater environment, we have turned the water off to this area,” it said.

“It is anticipated that service will be interrupted for at least six hours.”

All 114 homes on Kingston Heights Road, Ontario Street, Laurent Place, Manitoba Place, Caribou Place and Stormont Place are affected.

Wellington Water estimates the water will be back on about 5.30pm.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand