A truly bizarre week

Yet another truly bizarre week in weather as thunderstorms rattle Canterbury, gales blast Auckland and a gigantic dust storm that looks like something from Hollywood blankets much of Australia's eastern seaboard - and now it's coming our way.

Dust from yesterday's spectacular dust storm is likely to arrive some time Thursday here in New Zealand however with so much cloud cover over the country it's going to be hard to tell.

Take a look at this awesome photo from Nasa which clearly shows the dust right up Australia's coastline and spilling out over the Pacific Ocean. It reminds me of a scene I saw flying back from Wellington once after some heavy rain...and we passed over Whanganui (also known as Wanganui to some...to many....to most). The river was swollen and pouring out into Cook Strait and from the window of the 737 I was in all I could see was this big brown swirl. That Nasa image looks so similar to it...and to be honest the dust is behaving in a similar nature to those flood waters. It's caught up in a stream of air that will take it thousands of kilometres eastwards.

Now my prediction is that the North Island will be most exposed to the dust...mainly because the low that's pulling the air over our way will also partially block the South Island. But it's doesn't really matter because it's overcast or raining just about everywhere today.

I think Friday will be the best viewing day. The main front bringing all the rain will be clearing the North Island and behind it showery weather but sunny spells too. Try sunrise or sunset on Friday and have your cameras ready.

It's quite amazing really, when you think of those images in Sydney and Brisbane (and in the past, Melbourne)...it's hard to believe that those places are only just on the other side of the Tasman Sea - a short flight away - yet the weather and the extremes they face are world's apart from us.

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The global warming blog I wrote on Monday has, as predicted, let the cat amongst the pigeons. I just need to clarify something. To Ken Ring, no, I don't agree with you in thinking that global warming is a 'scam'. I truly believe the world is heating up quickly, I truly believe mankind has played a part in it...and I fully support NIWA and other organisations and their findings on what may happen ("may" happen). But to me the scientists are no different to health specialists. If I'm at a specialist and he tells me I'm not doing so well and if I don't change my habits I will die young (and even if I do change my habits I may still continue to go downhill)...then I'm going to be as positive as I can to survive. Rather than fearing the worst I'll prepare a positive mind frame to get through it. THAT is the angle I'm taking on global warming. We're already starting to be greener and yes I appreciate it's slow and developing nations make it harder for us with all their polluting, but we are changing our habits - we are being 'healthier' for the planet.

I'm saying we need to listen to the scientists, but at the same time remember that it's in OUR hands to change things. We choose who we vote for to run the government, we chose who we elect on our councils... it's our decision individually.

I believe we have to sit up and realise that ice is melting at an alarming rate... but lets think positively about how we can tackle the inevitable rather than allowing the fear of the future to put the world in a grave prematurely.

- Philip Duncan

Pictured above: Nasa's satellite photo of the dust storm over the eastern coastline of Australia.