TROPICAL STORM HAMMERING NORTH

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TROPICAL STORM HAMMERING NORTH

22/02/2008 11:00am

Heavy and Gales pounding Auckland northwards

Some rain reaching Waikato

A tropical storm is bringing widespread rain and winds up to hurricane force over northern New Zealand and it’s not set to ease anytime soon. Yesterday winds clocked at almost 150km/h in the Far North with gusty easterlies reaching 100km/h in coastal parts of Auckland this morning. “It’s wet, it’s windy, it’s just what we needed” says head weather analyst Philip Duncan. While he concedes the wind isn’t perhaps really needed the rain will certainly be a boost to water catchments around Auckland and be a blessing to those who rely on rain water to fill their tanks. “Places such as Waiheke Island, some older houses north of Auckland, and many baches across the region rely on rain water so this will be much appreciated”.

Duncan says some rain is now also reaching Waikato. “While it’s certainly patchy the northern rain radar now shows rain moving into northern and western parts of Waikato. As the rain clouds continue to build today that could shift further south to cover all of Waikato. There is a very fine line between where it’s raining and where it’s basically dry”. Most computer models are predicting rain to increase over Waikato today or tonight but Mr Duncan says farmers will really have to wait and see as the Coromandel Peninsula and Kaimai Ranges really are having an impact over just how much rain is making it across the Waikato plains.

Rain is likely to ease to drizzle or patchy showers during Sunday in Auckland and Duncan says there’s a good chance conditions will improve in the evening for the Starlight Symphony.

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