Crazy weather here to stay

By JO-MARIE BROWN

La Nina and El Nino have packed their bags and taken a holiday, but they left a nasty surprise - chaotic weather.

Meteorologists call this a "neutral year" when no single pattern predominates, so the country is being blasted by the full, crazy range of weather.

This weekend, it was the big blow.

The country shivered through cold southerlies - not to mention snow - just 11 days out from summer when the north should have had sleeve-rolling westerlies.

And this summer chances are that we will be hit by the remains of tropical cyclones, like the ones that ruined New Year celebrations four years ago.

Weatherwise Auckland coordinator Carla Salinger said Pakuranga recorded a top gust of63 km/h yesterday - the kind it should get only once a year.

Gusts of 120 km/h were recorded at Tiritiri Matangi at 3 pm,100 km/h at Bean Rock at 11 am and 80 km/h at Auckland Airport at 2 pm. The average mean speed of wind at the top of the Sky Tower was 85 km/h at 11 am.



Yesterday's winds, the result of repeated fronts dragging cold air up from the Southern Ocean, blew much of the fun out of springtime events.

A display of tango dancing at Potters Park on Saturday turned into a wet and windy affair. The wind caused delays yesterday for exhibitors at the Ellerslie Flower Show, which opens on Wednesday, with plants and flowers prone to wind damage kept indoors rather than being readied for displays.

Meanwhile, 300 competitors in the Auckland Central Master Swimmers' annual harbour race had their event cancelled by high seas.

Temperatures were also much cooler, reaching just 17 degrees on Saturday and yesterday, three degrees below average - and that was out of the wind.

MetService forecaster Erick Brenstrum said spring was traditionally unsettled, but "neutral" years - between La Nina's warm, wet patterns and El Nino's dry winds - added further uncertainty.

Tropical cyclones were now more likely in the next few months.

The last "neutral" summer, of 1996-97, saw tropical cyclones Fergus, Drena and Gavin. Fergus caused a civil emergency over New Year 1997, followed 11 days later by Drena.

"I'd be extremely surprised if we don't have at least one tropical cyclone come across this summer or autumn."

The MetService said the wind swung around to the south last week and stayed, bringing wintry weather and snow to parts of the South Island and lower North Island.

It should swing around to more normal westerlies from today.

MetService forecaster Paul Bruce said the chances of a settled summer were barely 50-50.

The southerly winds whipped up heavy seas around the country yesterday, with Wellington police temporarily closing the road between the Hutt Valley and Eastbourne as large waves crashed over it.

Two boaties with mild hypothermia were plucked from the Hauraki Gulf by the WestpacTrust Rescue Helicopter just after 1 pm yesterday, after their boat sank off Pakihi Island.

A 12m yacht was blown on to rocks at the mouth of Whangarei Harbour by 62.4 km/h winds on Saturday, while boats in Devonport and along the Tamaki River took a battering yesterday.

Bad weather caused power failures in thousands of North Island homes. Tauranga, Te Puke and the Kaimais were hardest hit. Powerlines in Bayswater had to be repaired after roofing iron blew off the North Shore Albions rugby league club and draped itself over the lines.

Herald Online Weather