Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.)

ISSN 0111-1736

Meteorological Society Of New Zealand (Inc.)

NEWSLETTER 119 DECEMBER 2009

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 2

Meteorological Society Of New Zealand (Inc.) NEWSLETTER 119 DECEMBER 2009 PO Box 6523, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, New Zealand Please forward contributions to Bob McDavitt, [email protected]

CONTENTS Page AGM and Financial Report 3-6 Regional Reports 7 2009 Met Soc conference 8-9 2010 NIWA UV Conference 10-12 Stink 12 Kids Weather on the Internet 13 Winter 2009 14-21 Winter – in the media 22-42

Your new Committee President Kim Dirks [email protected] Immediate Past President Mike Revell Auckland VP Jennifer Salmond [email protected] Wellington VP James Renwick [email protected] Christchurch VP Vacant Dunedin VP vacant Secretary Sam Dean [email protected] Treasurer Cliff Revell [email protected] Circulation Manager Sylvia Nichols [email protected] Journal Editor Brian Giles [email protected] Newsletter Editor Bob McDavitt [email protected] Wed Editor Peter Knudsen [email protected] Hydrological Society Liaison Charles Pearson [email protected] General Committee Jim Salinger [email protected] Stacey Dravitzki (to be confirmed) [email protected] Katrina Richards [email protected] Sally Garrett [email protected] Gareth Renowden [email protected] Simon Kjellberg Views and endorsements expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors and advertisers, and not necessarily those of the Meteorological Society of New Zealand. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the Society.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 3 Minutes of the 30 th Annual General Meeting of the Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Wednesday, November 11 th , 2009 Greta Point, Wellington The meeting opened at 3:00pm The meeting was chaired by Mike Revell (President) and the minutes have been written by Sam Dean (Secretary). 1. Attendance Kim Dirks Mike Revell Sam Dean Tony Bromley Ross Martin Neil Gordon Alan Porteous Richard Turner Errol Lewthwaite Brett Mullan John Sansom Garth England Don Thompson Cliff Revell Sylvia Nicol Abha Sood Colin Fraser Andrew Laing Katrina Richards Rowena Moss Duncan Ackerley James Sturman James Renwick 2. Apologies Bob McDavitt Rupert Wood Brian Giles Frank Drost John Lumsden Mike Harris Alex Neale David Wratt Jim Salinger Peter Knudsen Mikhail Titov Jennifer Salmond Gareth Renowden Stacey Dravitzki Sally Gray Simon Kjellberg Garry Derose Andrew Tait Alex Neale 3. Confirmation of the minutes of the previous AGM (Mike) Motion that “ the minutes of the previous AGM, held at Shantytown, Greymouth on the 18 th of No- vember 2008 be accepted as read ” Kim Dirks / James Renwick -carried 4. Matters arising from the last AGM (Mike) Media awards As agreed at the previous AGM, media awards for TV weather presentations were prepared this year. The winner of the awards was to be announced in a special presentation at the con- clusion of the AGM. The members expressed their thanks to Bob McDavitt for his hard work in organising these awards. 5. President’s Report (Mike) - 30 th since founding of Society in 1979 It seems hard to believe that another year has gone by and I have now served two years as the Meteorological Society president. I have decided to stand down as president and will be the immediate past president for the next two years. Presidential duties during this period have not been particularly onerous – thanks to the fact that during this period the two annual conferences (the main focus of the society each year) have been joint affairs, largely run by the other societies (Hydrology in Greymouth in 2008 with key input by Charles Pearson and Freshwater and Marine Science in Auckland in 2009 with key input by Kim Dirks). I hope I have managed the affairs of the Society so that they are in at least as good a state as when I started. One of the reasons I am standing down is that I feel I have not had the time to do much more than act as a caretaker and I hope that there are others out there in the meteorological community with more time, energy and enthusiasm to push us along a bit more. Attracting younger members continues to be an issue as does getting papers submitted for our annual Journal. A proactive series of emails by our secretary Sam Dean has helped the membership a little, but we still seem to struggle to get the required number of journal articles. There are many good papers presented at our annual conferences, but for some reason very few of them are pushed through to publication standard for our journal. Given how topical climate change issues and the weather generally are in the media these days I find this surprising. Clearly we are failing to convince people that there are sufficient benefits from joining the Society. How- ever on a positive note the Society is in a healthy financial state (see the financial report) and is able to assist students attend the annual conference and provide significant prizes. Summary of activities: Committee meetings There were five of these roughly every two months as in previous years, plus a special meet-

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 4 ing to change the status of the society. Again there have been no major initiatives but we are now officially a charitable organisation, which will give us some tax advantages. The issue of falling numbers in the society has continued to be raised at every meeting and several suggestions made to try and improve things. A personal approach from our secretary Sam Dean to Wellington based NIWA staff has helped counteract the inevitable loss of members each year. This year’s Auckland conference joint with the society for Marine and Freshwater Sciences This was largely handled by the Freshwater and Marine Sciences committee in Auckland ably assisted by our immediate past president Kim Dirks. Thank you Kim for doing such a great job. We were able to subsidise several students’ attendance at the conference and provided two prizes worth $500 for best student and open papers presented by a MetSoc member. I thought it was an excellent meeting with many papers of a high standard including many student presentations. Can I reiterate that it would be great to see some of these appear in our journal! Branch meetings One of the most active society branches (at least in terms of a regular series of talks) has been Christchurch. Unfortunately Mikhail Titov now works outside the University of Canterbury and is not able to organise these talks anymore. This is a great pity, but thanks Mikhail for your fine effort over the last few years. Again I think we should make an effort to reinvigorate the talks at our branches as this is one of the key things we offer as a society to our members, along with the newsletters, journal and annual conference. Retiring of committee members As mentioned last year Cliff Revell (treasurer) would like to step down but we have not been able to find a replacement. Please put on your thinking hats to help find someone suitable. I’m sure you will all join with me in thanking Cliff very much for his continuing valuable contribu- tion to the society. Newsletter/Website Bob McDavitt continues to do an excellent job here. This is one of the main ways we communi- cate with members. Thanks to Peter Knudsen also for maintaining the web site. I believe this will become the key way people access information about our society so it is important that we keep it up to date. Journal Another issue of “Weather and Climate” went out in July. Brian is always looking for more papers and feels the new A4 format could handle an extra paper per year. Any of the papers presented at the 2009 MetSoc conference could become journal papers. I encourage you to consider this as currently there is only one paper in the pipeline for next year. Upcoming conferences 2011 MetSoc conference joint with the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society in Wellington. Details (venue and date) are yet to be finalised by incoming committee. Kidson Medal Two papers were put up for consideration (thanks to the nominees for their efforts) but it was decided not to award a Kidson medal this year. Royal Society Fellow nomination This year we nominated David Wratt to be a fellow of the royal society. Thanks to James Ren- wick and Geoff Austin for their hard work on this. We will find out this month if the nomination is successful for this year (it will be valid for five years). Media Awards Bob McDavitt will present the media award entries and announce the winners at the MetSoc AGM. Finally, I thank all the committee members who have helped run the society over the last year. I hope you have all have a good break over the Christmas New Year period. Best Wishes for the coming year. Mike Revell

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 5 6. Annual Report from the Treasurer (Cliff) Meteorological Society of New Zealand: Balance Sheet.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 6 Meteorological Society of New Zealand: Income and expenditure statement.

Cliff had not yet prepared a budget for the next financial year but would do so shortly. Cliff noted that the final balance had come in ahead of budget and that this was mostly due to the conference profit which is not budgeted for. Income from subscriptions was also higher than

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 7 budgeted. The subscription rate was $35 compared to $30 for the previous year. There is also uncertainty around the cost of teleconferences, which over the past year had been provided through NIWA. It was noted by Kim Dirks that the journal costs were higher than previously despite the shift to an A4 size. It was suggested by Mike Revell that this may have been due to the unusually large journal, but this would be investigated. In response to a question by Sam Dean, Cliff noted that the net worth of the society was now around $40,000. He also observed that interest received was high than the previous year despite a fall in interest rates, which he could not explain. Cliff recommended that the subscription rate remain unchanged. It was moved and passed “ that the statement of accounts be accepted ” James Renwick / Mike Revell - carried 7. Subscription Rate (Mike) Motion “ that the subscription rate for the next financial year remain the same at $35 for ordinary members and $105 for institutional members, with the exception that the incoming committee is authorised to allow a discount for international and domestic members who elect to receive the newsletter only by email. The size of the discount should be determined by an analy- sis of the cost to the society of providing a hard copy newsletter to international and domestic members. ” Neil Gordon / Cliff Revell - carried 8. Election of Officers (Kim) The floor was then passed to Kim Dirks as Immediate Past President to carry out the Election of Officers. Kim Dirks was subsequently nominated by Mike Revell and Richard Turner for the position of President. Kim agreed to stand as president for a term of one year only. The floor was then passed to Mike Revell to carry out the election of officers. The following nominations for Officers of the Society for 2007/2008 were made: President Kim Dirks Auckland VP Jennifer Salmond Wellington VP James Renwick Christchurch VP vacant Dunedin VP vacant Secretary Sam Dean Treasurer Cliff Revell Journal Editor Brian Giles Newsletter Editor Bob McDavitt Circulation Manager Sylvia Nichol Webmaster Peter Knudsen Hydrosoc Liasison Charles Pearson General Commitee Jim Salinger Stacey Dravitzki (to be confirmed) Katrina Richards Sally Garrett Mike Revell (as Immediate Past President) Gareth Renowden Simon Kjellberg Sam asked whether Peter Knudsen really wished to continue as webmaster since Bob had done the web editing over the past year. Kim agreed to discuss this further with Peter. There being no other nominations, it was moved that the nominations be closed. Mike Revell / Sam Dean -carried After a vote, Mike declared the above nominees duly elected. 9. Other Matters Neil Gordon brought to the society’s attention his role in representing the society in the Inter- national Forum of Meteorological Societies. More information about this new forum can be found at www.ifms.org . For the first time there is to be a special session for IMFS at the next AMOS meeting and Neil confirmed that he will be able to attend. Some of the issues are likely

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 8 to be around communication with the public. Neil said that he would provide a written report on the meeting to the committee upon his return. Duncan Ackerley raised concerns about the current position of Weather and Climate. He suggested the following improvements: 1. Upload all past and future editions onto the home page of the met soc as pdf documents 2. Allow free access to members with a charge for non members 3. Acquire a DOI for all previous and future artcles 4. Include Weather and Climate in the Web of Science database Make the publication online only.

There was agreement that these were in principle good suggestions and should be considered in more detail by the new committee. Sam suggested Duncan should be co-opted onto the committee to pursue this issue. Duncan expressed interest. With no other business put forward the meeting was declared closed at 4:05pm. Kim Dirks then presented the TV weather awards for 2009.

Met Society review of TV weather presentations review, 2009 The Met Society periodically reviews the quality of weather presentation in the NZ media. The objective is to encourage the provision of weather information that is effective in delivering the message intended by the meteorologists who compiled it. 2002 Last time the Met Society judged TV weather presentations was in 2002, and a presentation was made at that year’s Met Soc conference. That review covered six personali- ties and nine productions. There was no award for excellence: TVNZ and TV3 were highly commended for their productions and Jim Hickey and Toni Marsh were highly commended for their presentations.

In our last review we made several suggestions – three of these have been adopted (warning status map, crawling scroll of current conditions at the bottom of the screen, and rain radar imagery), two have been partly adopted (a map of expected rain, and a wider area coverage of isobars). Others remain on our wish list: showing surrounding oceanic winds with Quickscat data, snail tracks for the main systems, jetstreams, a frost forecast map, and fewer non-weather items.

2009 This year the Society arranged the collection (during July) of video clips of 9 personali- ties and 5 productions, concentrating on TVNZ and TV3. These were reviewed (in Au- gust) by a panel of judges that included Met Society Auckland committee members Jim Salinger and Bob McDavitt, and, as a neutral member of the media, Philip Duncan of Ra- dio Network’s Weather Watch Centre.

Weather is also presented on Prime, Family TV (Warkworth), Mercury TV (Southland) , and looped on Sky (The Weather Channel) and Saturn, but these channels attract fewer viewers and were not reviewed this year. Country TV’s weather presentation on SKY started after the July collection for this review. Members Comments A member sent in these comments about the Weather Channel: “The new radar rain imagery covers the whole South Island which makes for very small detail …by day the col- our contrasts are barely visible….same applies to the written script..”. And about Telstra/Saturn (available on cable in Wellington), a member writes: “Recently it changed format and is obviously designed for ultra modern BIG screen TV systems because my more humble one finds it very difficult to make out definition and

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 9 the script is small and unclear…. radar scan …almost useless. Marking Scheme For the five productions reviewed, Judges were asked to give neutral, positive or nega- tive points for: visuals and audio, the ability to attract a closer look, and then to keep the viewer’s attention, best use of available resources, technical production and direction. Content was marked for relevance, scope, coverage and clarity. The meteorological script was checked for terminology, information, integrity and explanation. Fore- cast accuracy was not included in this review. TVNZ The judges had a mixed response to TVNZ’s decision to split the early evening weather presentation into two parts, with first part a review of today and its day time highs, and the second part concentrating on tomorrow’s weather. This split both helps and hin- ders the viewers. TV3 The judges were impressed by the “Google Earth” map on a globe projection used to show the satellite imagery and isobars. The lightning and falling snow graphics are enticing. Some judges liked the appearance of the sun rise/set delimiter as a cue to timing weather changes, and others found that it made the screen too “busy” and too compli- cated to absorb. TV3 won points for having several spots in each of its city forecast: this is a positive development. Also for their method of displaying warnings, as this is appealing to look at and quick to absorb. The judges were unanimous in deciding that TV3 evening news was the winner of the best weather production in NZ in 2009, and the following plaque has been sent to their Weather Producer to mark this award:

Brickbats The judges lament the lack of scientific explanation of the terminology used-during weather presentations – the last notable presenter who was able to explain the terminology while presenting their weather forecast was Augie Auer. Web cams are a waste of time in winter. The regional North Island and South Island loops add little to the presentation, simply acting as an interlude between the large scale and the regional scale. This section can safely be dropped from the presentation. PRESENTERS Presenters can sometimes add that magic personal touch that allows the weather to come alive for the viewer and aids in an accurate and easy communication of the intended forecast from writer to user. The judges reviewed nine presenters, checking visual (dress, poise, posture, move- ment, eyes on graphics –viewer, and hands pointing/use of the clicker), audio (voice, vocab, cadence, clarity, diction, delivery, pronunciation of place names, pace , ability to grab attention , smoothing out of mistakes) , and impact (presence, personality, pas- sion, professionalism, focus, effort, confidence, convincingness, and handling of fum- bles). The presenters reviewed were Aimie, Jim Hickey, Josh Heslop, Karen Olson, Mike Hall, Miriana Kamo, Renee Wright, Tamati Coffey, and Toni Marsh.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 10 It wasn’t easy: each judge ended up with different scoring sheets and it was only when these were combined and reanalysed that a consensus could be reached. The judges decided that two awards should be made and the following plaques have been sent to them to mark these awards:

A news release was issued promulgating this report after the Awards are officially announced at the Met Society’s 30 th AGM to be held at NIWA in Greta Point, Wellington, on 11 November 2009. Awards Panel convenor, Bob McDavitt, 5 November 2009 ------Met Society announces winners of TV weather (news release issued 11 Nov 2009) At its 30 th AGM held in Wellington on Wednesday, the New Zealand Meteorological Society announced the winners of its TV awards for 2009. A judging panel reviewed weather presentations on New Zealand television with the aim of finding the most effective production and presenter for delivering weather information. “We are happy to announce that this year’s award for best weather production goes to the TV3 Evening News team”, commented the Panel Convener, Bob McDavitt. “Also, Jim Hickey of TVNZ has been awarded as ‘Consummate Top Class Weather Presenter’, and Tamati Coffey of TVNZ has been awarded as ‘Most Promising Weather Presenter’.” The judges were impressed by the map-on-a-globe projection used by TV3 to show the satellite imagery and isobars. “TV3 won points for having several spots in each of its city forecasts: this is a positive development. Also for their method of displaying warnings, as this is appealing to look at and quick to absorb”, said Mr. McDavitt. Weather presenters can sometimes add a magic personal touch that allows the weather to come alive for the viewer and aids in an accurate and easy communication of the intended forecast from writer to user. “Jim Hickey has that magic touch, and Tamati Coffey seems to be picking it up as well”. Met Society Awards Convener, Bob McDavitt

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 11 METEOROLOGY AROUND THE REGIONS Wairarapa Weather Watchers Alex Neale reports they held their first meeting of the summer and AGM on 19 October 2009. Ten attended from a membership of twenty-nine. A brief review was given of observing and forecasting during the period 1950 to the present. Decided at the AGM that, due to all members getting older, they would reduce meetings to two per summer, one before and one after Xmas; however, there would continue to be six newsletters per year.

And on the NZ Internet: There are two Weather Forums operating in New Zealand:

http://www.weatherforum.org.nz/phpBB3/ Has been on line since 2003.

http://www.nzweather.net/

If you know of any more weather or climate web sites in NZ that we can share amongst our membership, please let me know at [email protected]

Members may have heard about “Climategate”, much ado about zilch. This newsletter editor recommends Gareth Re- nowden’s Blog site at http://hot-topic.co.nz for a considered examination of this from one of our committee members.

Hot Topic , the first popular science book to ex- amine global warming from a New Zealand perspective, was shortlisted for the Royal Soci- ety of NZ's first ever Science Book Prize. The judges described it as "timely, lucid, and very readable". :

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 12 2010 UV Workshop NIWA is convening a workshop on 7-9 April at Copthorne Hotel, Queenstown, on: “UV Radiation and its Effects: an update (2010)”

Sponsored by

• Registration opens at 10 am on 7 April • Final session ends at 2 pm on 9 April. Leading researchers from New Zealand and Australia who have an interest in UV radiation and its health impacts will be attending. For more info check the website at http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-services/online-services/uv-and- ozone/workshops/2010

Organising Committee: Dr Richard McKenzie, NIWA, Lauder (Convenor) A/Prof Robert Scragg, Univ. Auckland (co-convenor) Dr Judith Galtry, Cancer Society (co-convenor) Graeme Strang, NIWA, Lauder (Registrations)

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 13 Clouds Can Reveal Shape of Continents Posted November 17, 2009 at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=41292

In some parts of the world the difference in the amount of clouds over land versus ocean is so stark that the outlines of continents and other landmasses can be traced through observations of clouds alone. This image of October 2009’s cloud fraction (the fraction of an area covered by clouds) demonstrates the pattern. The measurements were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. Colors range from blue (no clouds) to white (totally cloudy). Not surprisingly, the most dramatic cloud boundaries occur in places where very dry land is surrounded by ocean, such as northern and southern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula (east of North Africa), and Greenland. The sharp boundary between water and land fades over humid regions. In west-central Africa, the contour of the coastline fades beneath clouds that are nearly as prevalent over the humid tropical forests as they are over the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Over the islands, narrow peninsulas, and shallow seas between Southeast Asia and Australia, the difference between land and water virtually disappears; the entire region is extremely cloudy, and the outlines of the major land masses—including the Indonesia islands of Sumatra and Borneo are barely perceptible. This blurring of boundaries is reflected in the name meteorologists give this region: the Maritime Continent. In addition to their role as rain- and snow-makers, clouds are often the arbiters of energy en- tering and leaving the climate system. Clouds may have a warming or cooling influence depending on their altitude, type, and when they form. Clouds reflect sunlight back into space, which causes cooling. But they can also absorb heat that radiates from the Earth’s surface, preventing it from freely escaping to space. The diversity of roles clouds can play makes daily, global observations vital to understanding and predicting our climate. NASA Earth Observatory image by Kevin Ward, based on data provided by the NASA Earth Ob- servations (NEO) Project. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 14 National Climate Summary – Spring 2009: Extremely dry for much of the South Island Rainfall: Below normal rainfall over much of the South Island, especially Otago and the Lakes District, as well as eastern parts of Northland, Auckland and Coromandel. Very wet in southern Hawkes Bay and the Tararua District. Near normal spring rainfall elsewhere. Temperature: Near average temperatures in Northland, Coromandel, the Bay of Plenty and the Lakes District; a cooler than usual spring in most other regions. Sunshine: Sunny over much of the South Island, as well as for Waikato, Taupo, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay. Very cloudy in the west from Taranaki to Wellington.

It was a very dry spring (with rainfalls below 75 percent of normal) in eastern parts of North- land, Auckland and Coromandel, and for much of the South Island. Record or near-record low spring rainfalls were observed in Northland, Coromandel, Westland, along the South Island Main Divide, in the Lakes District, and Otago, with totals often less than 50 percent of spring normal. In contrast, spring rainfall was above normal in southern Hawkes Bay, the Tararua District, and in Wanganui (with more than 120 percent of normal recorded). Elsewhere, near normal spring rainfall was observed. Spring temperatures were near average (between -0.5°C and 0.5°C of average) along the eastern coasts of Northland, Coromandel, the Bay of Plenty, as well as throughout the South Island Lakes District and in Fiordland. Below average temperatures (between 1.2°C and 0.5°C below the seasonal average) were observed in most other regions of the country. However, there were several small pockets of well below average temperatures observed, particularly along the southeast coasts of both Islands (with temperatures more than 1.2°C below the spring average). Overall, the New Zealand national average temperature for spring was 11.6°C (0.4°C below the long-term seasonal average). Spring sunshine totals were above normal (more than 110 percent of normal) over much of the South Island, as well as throughout the Waikato, Taupo, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay regions. In contrast, it was quite cloudy in the west of the North Island, from Taranaki through to Wellington, with sunshine totals less than 90 percent of normal. Spring 2009 was characterised by stronger than normal southwest winds over New Zealand, caused by lower pressures to the southeast of the South Island consistent with El Niño.

Major Highlights The highest spring temperature was 32.1°C recorded at Whakatane on November 24th (an all- time record at this site). The lowest spring temperature of -7.2°C was recorded at Hanmer Forest on September 4th (not a record). The highest 1-day spring rainfall was 122.3 mm, recorded at Milford Sound, on November 14th (not a record). The highest spring wind gust was 184 km/hr, recorded at Stewart Island on November 4th (a November record at this site). Of the six main centres this spring, Tauranga was the warmest, Wellington the wettest, Dune- din the driest and Christchurch the sunniest and coolest.

Rainfall It was an extremely dry spring (with rainfalls below 75 percent of normal) in eastern parts of Northland, Auckland and Coromandel. Whangarei recorded its lowest spring rainfall total ever, since records began in 1937. Spring rainfall was also below normal (less than 75 percent of normal) over much of the South Island (except for Nelson, Marlborough, coastal Can- terbury and coastal Southland, which recorded near normal spring rainfalls). Record or near- record low spring rainfalls were observed in Westland, along the Main Divide, in the Lakes District, and Otago, with totals often less than 50 percent of spring normal. Arthurs Pass ex-

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 15 perienced its driest spring ever (since records began in 1906), as did Lake Tekapo, Ranfurly and Lumsden. In contrast, spring rainfall was above normal in southern Hawkes Bay, the Tararua District, and in Wanganui (with more than 120 percent of spring normal recorded). The remainder of the North Island (excluding Northland, Auckland and Coromandel), received near normal spring rainfalls (between 80 and 120 percent of normal).

Temperature Spring temperatures were near average (between -0.5°C and 0.5°C of average) along the eastern coasts of Northland, Coromandel, the Bay of Plenty, as well as throughout the South Island Lakes District and Fiordland. Below average temperatures (between 1.2°C and 0.5°C below the seasonal average) were observed in most other regions of the country. However, there were several small pockets of well below average temperatures observed, particularly along the southeast coasts of both Islands (with temperatures more than 1.2°C below the spring average). Afternoon temperatures this spring were record low in Kaitaia, Dannevirke and at Cape Campbell. Morning spring temperatures were record low at Turangi, Dannevirke, Hanmer Forest (where records began in 1906), Christchurch (in observations since 1863), and Dune- din. Overall, the New Zealand national average temperature for spring was 11.6°C (0.4°C below the long-term seasonal average).

Sunshine Spring sunshine totals were above normal (more than 110 percent of normal) over much of the South Island, as well as throughout the Waikato, Taupo, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay regions. In fact, seasonal sunshine totals exceeded more than 125 percent of normal in the King Country, throughout Westland, and in parts of Canterbury and Otago. It was the sunniest spring on record for Te Kuiti, Turangi and Greymouth. In contrast, it was quite cloudy in the west of the North Island, from Taranaki through to Wel- lington, with below normal sunshine totals (less than 90 percent of normal). For further information, please contact: Ms Georgina Griffiths – Climate Scientist NIWA National Climate Centre – Auckland Dr Andrew Tait – Climate Scientist NIWA National Climate Centre – Wellington Michele Hollis – NIWA Communications Manager [email protected] Acknowledgement of NIWA as the source is required.

NOTABLE WEATHER IN NZ - SPRING 2009

This season began with relatively settled weather for the first two weeks of September, but the month became more unsettled after that. October was unseasonably cold and unsettled, with the severe snowstorm in the central North island early in the month standing out as the most significant event of the whole season. Conditions settled down somewhat for November, which although still a changeable month with predominant west or southwest airflows, was drier and sunnier than normal for many areas.

SEPTEMBER 1st - Cold westerlies deliver thunderstorms to Stewart Island and coastal Southland. Heavy snow in Fiordland down to Homer Tunnel. 2nd - Cold southwesterlies bring snow showers to low levels in Fiordland, Southland, and South Otago. Thunder and hail also lash Southland.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 16 3rd - Cold south to southeast flow spreads over NZ, with some more snow to low levels in the far south, and later on the eastern high country of the North Island. Some hail in the south of the North Island. 4th - Some thunder and hail in east of North Island in morning, with snow above about 500m at first. Light overnight dusting of snow above 800m on Mt Te Aroha and other high peaks of the Kaimai Range. Chilly 11-12C maximums in Northland and North Auckland. Heavy morning frosts in many parts of South Island, eg -7C minimum in Ranfurly, and -5C in Culverden. 5th - Heavy frosts in many areas, eg September records broken for low minimums in Blen- heim (-3C), Te Kuiti (-2C), and Warkworth. (1C) Another cold day in the far north, eg only 11C maximum in Dargaville. 6th - Another frosty morning in many areas. Kumeu and Whitianga shiver on September record minimums of -1C. 8th - Warm 20C-22C maximums in east of South Island. Extensive morning fog about Auckland and the Waikato. 9th - Summery 23C maximum in Hanmer. 10th - 21C maximum in Kaikoura. 11th - 23C maximums in Hanmer, Ashburton, and Dunedin. 12th - Heavy rain about Mt Taranaki. Some afternoon thunderstorms in eastern Otago. 13th - Warm 23C maximum in Alexandra; 22C in Kaitaia; and 20C-22C maximums in eastern areas of both islands. 14th - Severe northwesterly gales and high temperatures in lower South Island. (see details below) 15th - 23C maximum in Gisborne. 20th - 24C maximum in Alexandra. 22nd - 22C maximums in Napier and Hastings. However, colder southwesterlies spread over South Island, bringing scattered thunder and hail to the east, and snow showers to southern high country. 23rd - Cold south to southwest flow brings some more thunder and hail to east of South Is- land. Snow showers as low as about 300m on Dunedin hills. 24rd - Approaching low from Tasman Sea brings moisture into existing cold airmass, result- ing in snow to unusually low levels in eastern areas from central Hawkes Bay to North Canter- bury, as well as Nelson area. Rimutaka Hill and Takaka Hill roads both closed. Icy 0C at Taka- pau and 3C in Palmerston North at 3pm. 25th - Dust from dust storms in Australia reported to be settling lightly in several places in NZ. 26th - 21C maximum in Whangarei. 27th-30th - Unstable airmass results in thunderstorms in north of North Island. Tornado or downburst causes damage at Ramarama, South Auckland. (28th) Heavy rain about Mt Taranaki. (132mm at Dawson Falls, 118mm at North Egmont) on 29th.

OCTOBER 3rd-5th - Deep low with severe snowstorm in central North Island. (see details below) 8th - Cold southerly change brings snow to hills of Otago and Southland, with 6cm accumulat- ing at St Bathans by 8pm. 9th - Very cold south to southeast flow over South Island, spreading onto lower North Island later in day. Snow to low levels in parts of Marlborough and North Canterbury, but only on high country further south. Some motorists stuck in snow on SH1 in Hundalees south of Kaikoura. October record lows of 1C maximum at Arthurs Pass and 3C in Culverden, only 2C maximum in Hororata, and 6C in Ashburton, Reefton, and Kaikoura. (record October low maximums in latter two) Southeasterly gales from Westland to Taranaki, and about Cook Strait. 70kph gusts in Picton. Winds fell trees in Taranaki and Horowhenua, and cut power to 1400 homes in Hutt Valley. 10th - Snow on North Island high country, closing Desert Road for a time in early morning.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 17 13th - Afternoon thunderstorm near Balclutha. 15th - Heavy rain in some northern and western areas of North Island, eg 131mm (in 30 hours) at North Egmont, and 138mm at Haparapara, Bay of Plenty) Surface flooding on SH1 north of Wellington, plus slips in area. 16th - Some overnight thunderstorms in north of North Island. 18th - Only 9C maximum in Kaikoura and 10C in Ashburton, under a cold southerly flow. Southerly spreads over North Island in afternoon, with Napier quickly dropping from 21C to 12C. This change delivers thunderstorm with hail to Gisborne about 4pm. 20th - Some afternoon thunder and hail in central and northeastern North Island (especially Rotorua and Gisborne high country) as another cold southerly change sweeps north. 23rd - Afternoon hail shower reported in South Waikato, as North Island is affected by a cool southerly flow. 27th - Only 10C maximum in Masterton. 28th/29th - Unseasonably cold southerly spreads onto South Island later on 28th, and North Island by morning of next day. Snow showers to low levels in east of South Island overnight, with light dusting on Port Hills early on 29th. Snow on North Island high country, including both Desert and Rimutaka Hill Roads. (latter briefly closed as some vehicles get stuck at summit) 30th - Unseasonably cold morning in many areas in wake of departing cold southerly. Low of 2C in Warkworth (October record), 1C in Pukekohe, and 0C in Haast.

NOVEMBER 2nd - Cloud cover in a southwesterly flow suppresses daytime temperatures in north of North Island. Kaitaia only reaches 15C, with Kumeu reaching 16C. 4th - Northwesterly gales in Fiordland, some eastern areas of South Island, and southeast of North Island. Gusts reach 161 kph at Castlepoint, 145 kph at Puysegur Point, and 132 kph at Lauder. Winds cause container ship to lose its moorings at Lyttleton. 7th - Chilly start to day in north of North Island, eg a November record 4C minimum in Wark- worth. By contrast, a 27C maximum in Ashburton under a warm westerly flow. 9th - Rather cold southerly flow over NZ. Only 11C maximum in Ashburton, but 21C at Milford Sound, sheltered from the airflow. 11th - Fresh overnight snow above about 800m on South Island high country. 13th - A period of southerly gales in many eastern areas; some damage to trees in Christ- church. Temperatures drop by about 10C (from high teens and low 20s) with the change in Canterbury. Brief period of heavy rain in Fiordland prior to change, eg 115mm at Milford Sound in 16 hours. 14th - Westerly gales in lower North Island, eg gusts to over 60 knots at Castlepoint and Rimu- taka Hill Road summit in afternoon and evening. 15th - Northwesterly gales about Cook Strait, Wairarapa, and Hawkes Bay; gusts causing damage at Toast Martinborough event. Gusts reach 100 knots at cape Turnagain. Snow showers on southern South Island ranges as colder west to southwest flow develops. Invercargill drops to 6C by 6pm. 16th - Strong, cold west to southwest flow affects South Island, with snow showers about high country, and down to about 400m in far south. (hail showers there as well) Heavy rain overnight on Mt Taranaki, eg 135mm at North Egmont. 18th - Scattered thunderstorms in central and northern North Island. 20th - Warm day in eastern areas under a northwesterly flow. 29C maximums in Oamaru and Timaru. 21st - A warm night followed by another very warm day in east of South Island. 15C overnight minimum in Gore (November record) and 19C minimum at Waipara. 30C maximums recorded in Ashburton, Timaru, and Oamaru. record for month in latter station) However, southerly change in afternoon sends temperatures plummeting by about 13-14C.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 18 23rd - 31C maximums in Alexandra and at Dunedin Airport, a November record at latter station. (though only 21C maximum in Dunedin city) A warm 29C maximum in Ashburton, and 27C in Balclutha. 24th - Very warm in Bay of Plenty, with record 32C maximums in Kawerau and Whakatane. Te Puke (29C), Tauranga (28C), and Rotorua (27C) also have record November maximums. A period of evening thunderstorms about East Cape area. 26th - Westerly gales down powerlines at Porangahau in southern Hawkes Bay. Gusts up to 178 kph recorded at Castlepoint. 27th - A period of northwesterly gales in Southland, Otago, and inland Canterbury, with gusts reaching 120 kph in Gore, 87 kph at Tara Hills, and 130 kph at West Melton.. 29th - 30C maximums in Napier and Hastings, in a westerly flow. 30th - Some thunderstorms in Buller and Westland. Warm and very humid in north of North Island, with 90% + humidity in many places. A November record 19C minimum in Whangarei. However, a chilly 11C maximum in Oamaru and 10C in Waipara, as eastern South Island is affected by a dull, damp onshore flow.

MAJOR EVENTS 14th September - Northwesterly gales and record high temperatures in south. This northwesterly storm was notable not only for producing severe gales in the lower South Island, but also record high temperatures in the southeast of the island.

On the 13th, a warm west to northwest flow already covered the South Island between a high pressure system to the north and a slow moving frontal system to the southwest. By early the next day, very warm air had reached southern NZ from Australia, and the frontal system was moving closer, while the high pressure to the north hadn't moved. This set the stage for the northwesterly storm.

The northwesterly winds rose to severe gale in the lower South Island early on the 14th, with gusts reaching 107 kph at Tara Hills (a September record) and 119 kph at lauder. Not surprisingly, these winds caused significant damage. A driver was killed near Arrowtown when a tree was felled by gusts and crashed onto his vehicle. Powerlines were downed and roofs lifted on the Otago Peninsula, amongst other places. The wind whipped up several small grass and scrub fires in South Canterbury. Coming from Australia, the storm also brought dust which had been raised by hot dry winds in inland New South Wales. This dust coloured the skies over much of the South Island.

Thanks to the airflow's Australian origins, the northwesterlies also resulted in an unseasonably warm day in east of South Island. Temperatures had already risen to unseasonably high levels in the early hours of the 14th, with Dunedin had already reached 24C at 3am. It only rose a little to a 25C maximum, but that was still unseasonably high for so early in spring and its second highest ever for September. September records broken included Alexandra with 29C, Timaru with 27C, and Cromwell with 26C. Most other eastern South Island places recorded temperatures above 20C.

The storm eased later in the day, as the frontal system moved onto the South Island, replacing the warm northwesterliy flow with a cooler west to southwest airflow that night.

Also on this day, an unrelated weather phenomena occurred in Auckland, when sea fog rolled into Takapuna from the Hauraki Gulf in midafternoon. Conditions in Auckland during the day were otherwise fine and the fog was thanks to a warmer air crossing the colder waters of the Gulf and onto Takapuna in a sea-breeze.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 19 Mean sea level analyses for midday NZST 13th September to midnight NZST 14th September in 12 hour steps are shown here.

3rd-6th October - Deep low results in severe snowstorm in central North Island. Wintry southerly outbreaks bringing snow to the North Island high country are not uncommon in October, but this one was exceptionally severe, bringing heavy snow to unusually low levels and causing much disruption.

On the 3rd, a disturbed westerly flow over the South Island tended colder southwesterly over the lower South Island, with snow showers lowering to about 300m in the southwest, including flurries in Queenstown. (maximums were only 7C there and in Alexandra) Meanwhile, a low developed just off the New South Wales Coast and moved into the North Tasman Sea.

The low moved onto the North Island the next day, while the cold southerly change in the south moved north. Warm advection snow had already been forecast for the North Island high country, but the collision between these two systems made the storm even more severe than predicted. Temperatures in the central North Island and Hawkes Bay plummeted rapidly during the afternoon, with heavy snow on the high country dropping to low levels, including briefly to lake level in Taupo and down to about 250m northwest of Napier. Roads in the central plateau were closed, but The Napier-Taupo highway took the brunt of the snowstorm, with depths of 35cm trapping many motorists. Many had to abandon their vehicles on the highway, while they were rescued and taken to Taupo or Napier. The heavy snow also caused power cuts in the affected areas, and trapped large numbers of livestock. Heavy rain also affected some northern North Island areas at the same time.

The very cold southerly spread over the north of the North Island overnight and into the 5th, and persisted through the day as the low moved only slowly eastward. Snow eased only slowly on the central North Island and Hawkes Bay high country, with snow levels still unseasonably

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 20 low. Snowfalls were also reported in higher areas further north, with thick coatings in places where it would be considered unusual in mid-winter, including parts of the Rotorua district (first October snow since 1982), Mt Pirongia, the Kaimai Ranges (15cm reported on summit of Mt Te Aroha), and even flurries reported at Waitomo midafternoon. High country areas inland from Gisborne also received a dusting.

This very cold airmass, combined with continuing cloud and rain, resulted in many records for low October maximums in the North Island being broken. These included 5C in Dan- nevirke, 7C in Taumaranui, Rotorua, and Te Kuiti, 8C in Te Puke, Hamilton, Pukekohe, and Paeroa, 9C in Tauranga and New Plymouth, 10C in Warkworth and Whangaparoa, and 11C in Dargaville and Kaitaia. Such maximums were about 10C colder than the October averages for these places.

During the 6th, the low moved away slowly to the southeast, with an easing southerly flow over the North Island. Conditions eased, though it remained considerably colder than normal (Castlepoint recorded a record low October maximum of 8C), meaning that the heavy snow only slowly melted. Road crews were busy clearing the blocked roads, while Hawkes Bay farmers worked to rescue stock trapped in the storm.

Mean sea level analyses for midday NZDT 3rd October to midday NZDT 6th October in 12 hour steps are shown here.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 21

MONTHLY WEATHER NOTES FOR CHRISTCHURCH - SPRING 2009 SEPTEMBER The first two-thirds of the month was relatively settled, with virtually no rain. A cold southerly on the 3rd only brought some showers and brief hail to outer Banks Peninsula, but was followed by several cold, frosty nights in Christchurch. By contrast, there were some warm days as well, temperatures reaching over 20C on the 14th. Weather patterns changed later in the month. On the 22nd and 23rd, a colder south to southwest flow brought some afternoon thunder and hail to parts of the city on the 22nd and scattered hail the next day. Conditions remained cold on the 24th, as the flow tended easterly, with rain (and brief hail) in the evening. Snow flurries were reported to low levels in parts of inland North Canterbury. The remainder of the month continued dull and rather cold with light rain at times under onshore airflows. OCTOBER Frequent cold southerlies resulted in a month wetter and much colder than normal for Christ- church. The most significant of these outbreaks brought snow to low levels in parts of Canter- bury on the 9th/10th and 28th/29th, with extensive snow in inland North Canterbury during the first event. Lighter dustings affected Banks Peninsula and (briefly) the Port Hills on both events, with some hail and sleet in the city on the latter occasion. Brief hail was also reported in the city on a few other occasions. NOVEMBER While still cooler than normal, this month was much more settled in Christchurch, with much less rain than normal. West or southwest flows were predominant, with the frequent, but brief southerly changes producing little or no precipitation. Southerly gales did lash the city on the 13th, causing some local damage. On the other hand, several days were warm when the flow tended west or northwest, temperatures reaching the high 20s on the 20th and 21st. A change in the weather occurred late in the month, with the last three days being rather dull and cold with light rain thanks to an onshore flow. Ben Tichborne

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 22 METEOROLOGY IN THE PRESS—Spring 2009 Warmer weather linked to increase in crime - research Wed, 02 Sep 2009 By Juanita Copeland TV3 http://www.3news.co.nz/Warmer-weather-linked- to-increase-in-crime-research-shows/tabid/423/ articleID/119438/cat/238/Default.aspx Those who study criminal activity say warmer temperatures also encourage other behaviours that lead to crime Research conducted by Canterbury University shows a rise in temperatures brings an increase in violence and property crimes. The study has even pinpointed the most dangerous temperatures – when crimes like assault, robbery, theft and even homicide are more likely to occur. “If we compare a day where the maximum temperature is 10 degrees, to a day when the maximum temperature is 25 degrees, we would expect an 8 percent more violent crime on the warmer day,” says Canterbury University student James Horrocks. Mr Horrocks used crimes statistics from the police and weather data from NIWA over nine years, and found that the temperature range between 25 and 32 degrees seems to be when violent and property crimes are committed. “Higher temperatures increase aggression amongst people, so that is something that has been documented. The other side of that is there is increased interaction – people are more likely to be out in public interacting and more chance of a violent crime occurring,” says Mr Hor- rocks. For the rest of the year he is planning to broaden his research, to look at how other weather events like the full moon and warm Norwest winds affect crime. (Abridged)

Wellington's toxic tunnel breaches international standards By TOM FITZSIMONS - The Dominion Post 04/09/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/2833025/Wellingtons-toxic-tunnel-breaches-international-standards/

ROSS GIBLIN/The Dominion Post ROSS GIBLIN/The Dominion Post

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 23

Rachel Howes on her way through Mt Victoria Tunnel. Air quality tests show breaches of international standards. 'Sometimes you've got to hold your hand over your mouth,' says Scott Gibbs, who walks through the Mt Victoria Tunnel every day. A Niwa study for NZTA concludes that while air quality in the two tunnels has improved substantially since 2003, the Mt Victoria Tunnel still breached international guidelines in the latest tests. During the study, carbon monoxide levels in the tunnel breached the World Road As- sociation's guidelines for pedestrians twice over two months last year. Braving Mt Victoria Tunnel on foot is worse than walking through some of the most polluted cities in the world. Niwa's carbon monoxide standard for pedestrians is 87 parts per million (ppm) for up to 15 minutes of exposure, but some international standards have a stricter standard of 70ppm. Here is how the tunnel measures up: * 0.1ppm - background atmosphere level of carbon monoxide * 0.5 to 5ppm - average level in homes without gas stoves * 5.9ppm - Beijing marathon route before pollution crackdown last year * 75ppm the highest recording in Mt Victoria Tunnel over two months last year * 100-200ppm - the centre of Mexico City in the 1970s * 7000ppm - car exhaust (Abridged) Harsh frosts cut down spring blossoms 8th September 2009 Wairarapa Times Age http://www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/harsh- frosts-cut-down-spring-blossoms/3903886/

Gareth Winter with the burnt magnolias . "Sucker punch" frosts of -2C and -3C at the weekend burnt the petals of flowers like these magnolias, Masterton gardener Gareth Winter, pictured, said yesterday. Mr Winter, gardening columnist for the Wairarapa Times-Age, said magnolias and ca- mellias across the region had borne the brunt of brutal cold. Mr Winter said warm weather in the past month had intensified the frost's impact. "The warm August induced plants into flowering early," he said. "It was the classic sucker punch; the flowers were up to two or three weeks earlier." Met Service records show that on Sunday morning the temperature dropped to -2C from 1-4am. Saturday was even worse, as the mercury did not rise above -2C from 2am to 7am, and from 4am to 5am was down to -3C. (Abridged) Warmest August to date melts away winter that came early Wednesday Sep 09, 2009 By Vaimoana Tapaleao NZ Herald Last month was the warmest August we have had in New Zealand since records began. Photo / Doug Sherring This year's winter was a season of extremes, start- ing off early and extra frosty and ending unusually warm. A summary shows the cold season arrived in May and was extra chilly this year, but also

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 24 ended earlier with the warmest August we have had since records began. Results released by the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research yesterday showed unusually high pressure over the country resulted in frosty temperatures beginning in May. The average temperature for winter across the country was 8.3C, 0.2C higher than usual. (abridged)

Man killed by falling tree By BEN HEATHER - The Southland Times 15/09/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/ news/2864773/Man-killed-by-falling-tree

BEN HEATHER/Southland Times CRUSHED: A man was killed when his car was hit by a falling tree on Lower Shotover Rd near Queenstown yesterday. A man died metres from his own driveway after his ute was crushed by a falling tree during high winds near Queenstown yesterday. The MetService issued a strong wind warning for Queenstown yesterday, with gusts reaching 80kmh. The warning said wind could make driving hazardous, toppling trees and powerlines. Delta systems controller Graeme Johnson said the wind had caused several power failures across the region, including in Arrowtown, Alexandra and Roxburgh. (Abridged)

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 25 Strong winds buffet Otago 15 Sep 2009 Otago Daily Times http://www.odt.co.nz/the-regions/north-otago/74057/ strong-winds-buffet-otago Soil is blown off paddocks in the Omarama area yesterday when northwest wind gusts reached 100kmh. Photo by Gavin Will. Strong winds buffeted much of Otago yesterday, closing skifields, uprooting trees, fanning fires and causing a huge dust storm in the Omarama area. The MetService issued a severe weather warning at 8pm, following gusts of up to 130kmh in Dunedin and North Otago which had the "potential to rip down trees", forecaster Chris Nobel said. Gusts up to 135kmh were recorded at Swampy Summit above Dunedin last night, and winds of 100kmh buffeted Dunedin, causing power outages to homes in Andersons Bay, Ocean Grove and Highcliff. (Abridged)

BLOWN OVER: Desert dust from Australia blankets the centre of Christchurch yesterday. By PAUL GORMAN - The Press 15/09/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/ national/2864665/We-re-eating-their-dust-and-now- they-want-it-back DON SCOTT/The Press We're eating their dust and now they want it back The Aussies sent their dust over here and now they want it back. Not content with filling South Island skies with a reddy- brown veil, Melbourne scientists want to collect the Australian dust from our pristine snowfields and fly it home. Once the dust is back on Australian shores, they want to analyse it for bacteria and other constituents, which can have implications on the health of coral reefs and rainforests. (Abridged)

Apocalyptic' red dust storm heading for NZ By MIKE WATSON - The Dominion Post 24/09/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/ national/2896303/Apocalyptic-red-dust-storm-heading -for-NZ Reuters Sydney Opera House shrouded in dust, which may be heading for New Zealand A dust storm that turned Sydney red and sent pollution levels soaring to a record high is heading for New Zea- land. Winds of up to 90kmh whisked up dust and dirt, bringing a thick orange tinge to the skies over New South Wales yesterday. Covering half of the Australian state, the storm pushed air pollution levels to 1500 times their normal levels and the highest on record. It caused commuter chaos, the cancellation of flights from Sydney airport, the suspension of city ferries and the cancellation of horse racing. (Abridged)

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 26 Outback dust coats Taranaki By LEIGHTON KEITH - Taranaki Daily News 26 Sep 2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/2905575/Outback-dust- coats-Taranaki ROBERT CHARLES/Taranaki Daily News UNEXPECTED SURPRISE: June Walker was shocked yesterday to find an awning covering outdoor furniture coated in red dust which had been blown across the Tasman Sea from Australia. Taranaki locals awoke yesterday to find their backyards coated with a bit of the Australian Outback. Red dust from the sand storms that hit eastern Australia this week settled on roofs, outdoor furniture, vehicles and pool covers. Metservice forecaster Chris Noble said the dust had been blown across the Tasman Sea by the winds following the cold front that brought rain to most of the North Island on Thursday. Mr Noble did not expect more dust to arrive. "I think that is pretty much it now, it was thinning out as it has come across the Tasman. "Most of it dropped over night and early this morning," he said yesterday. Dust falls had also been reported in Auckland, Northland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. (Abridged)

Tornado tears top off couple's home The Dominion Post 29 Sep 2009 JOHN SELKIRK/ The Dominion Post AT LEAST THE DOG WAS OK: John Weatherley and partner Shairee McKay in the top storey of their home in Ramarama, South Auckland, after the tornado struck. The couple were not at home and their first thoughts were for miniature pinscher Savy. The tornado struck about 11am yesterday, tearing a roof off one house and causing damage to sheds, breaking windows and knocking over trees. John Weatherley, partner Shairee McKay and their two children were away from their rural Ramarama property in South Auckland when the tornado tore off the top of their house, spreading debris over half a kilometre. Nina and Des Barnes live in the property behind Mr Weatherley and were home when the tornado struck. "There was a lot of noise," Mrs Barnes said. "First thing I noticed was that branches were being ripped off trees and swirling around in the wind. It felt like it went on forever, but it was only 30-40 seconds and then the rain came." MetService forecaster Sarah Sparks said tornadoes were more common in South Auckland and northern Wai- kato than in many other areas because of the particular conditions. Agricultural land heated air close to the ground then met cold air sweeping in from the Tasman Sea on storm fronts. "The same conditions that generate thunderstorms can lead to funnel clouds and, if they touch the ground, tornadoes form," Ms Sparks said. (Abridged)

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 27 MetService advises Napier-Taupo Road will be affected by snow Sunday, 04 October 2009 Max Patmoy Hawkes Bay Today. http://www.hawkesbay.co.nz/ index.php/200910047048/Locals/ Local-News/Napier-Taupo-Road-will- be-affected-by-snow.html Snow on Napier Taupo road A cold snap that chilled the South Is- land yesterday has moved north, with heavy snow and rain expected across the North Island later today. The MetService advised snow would fall to about 600 metres across the central plateau and western Hawke's Bay, with up to 20cm of snow accumu- lating by Monday morning. The Desert Road, Napier-Taupo Road and Napier-Taihape Road would be affected by snow and drivers were advised to take care. Abridged

Army Saves Stranded Families Monday, 5 October 2009 http:// www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/ S00070.htm

Motorists arrive in Waiouru by Army Unimog after being rescued from SH1. Images courtesy of the NZDF Stranded motorists on SH1 and the Napier-Taupo road were rescued by NZ Army personnel last night and early this morning during the big cold snap which is hitting the Central North Is- land. (abridged)

LAMB LOSSES ON NAPIER-TAUPO HIGHWAY Monday, 5 October 2009, 12:26 pm ://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/S00066.htm It is a sad fact of nature that some lambs will succumb to the spring cold snap currently hitting the country, the NZVA says. Rain, snow and cold winds have caused lamb losses at the summit of the Napier–Taupo High- way. New Zealand Veterinary Association animal welfare co-ordinator Dr Virginia Williams said most lambs will survive the cold blast, and lambs are well-equipped to deal with the sudden change of temperature. “Lambs live outside and, as such, it is their natural environment. They can seek out shelter when they need it or snuggle into their mothers for additional warmth if it gets really cold, but in general they’re used to it and it doesn’t harm them. It is not the same as putting a baby or toddler out in the cold.” (Abridged)

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 28 Hundreds of cars trapped in snow in New Zealand - Mon, 05 Oct 2009 EarthTimes http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/288701,hundreds-of-cars -trapped-in-snow-in-new-zealand--summary.html

Wellington - Hundreds of stranded New Zealand motorists faced a second night in emergency shelters on Monday after an estimated 1- metre snowfall on central North Island. A state of emergency was declared in the lakeside town of Taupo when about 900 motorists were forced to abandon their cars after being trapped by the unseasonal springtime snowfall, described as "a freak weather occurrence." Police said the 145-kilometre stretch of highway between the east coast port of Napier and the lakeside town of Taupo was expected to remain closed for a second night because of abandoned vehicles blocking the road. Two stretches of the main highway between the capital, Wellington, and the country's biggest city Auckland were also likely to stay closed for another night. At least 700 homes and farms in the affected region were without power after the snow brought down transmission lines. Copyright DPA

Snowfall in New Zealand http://halohalo.ph/?p=17868 About 900 motorists were forced to abandon theirs cars after being trapped by the unseasonal springtime snowfall in lakeside of Taupo. At least 700 homes and farms in the affected region were without power after the snow brought down transmission lines.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 29 Snow storm leaves farms battered Tuesday October 06, 2009 Newstalk ZB/TVNZ http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/snow-storm-leaves-farms-battered-3048688

Farmers say it is too early to put a count on the cost of the snow storm which has hammered the central North Island. The hills and ranges of Hawke's Bay have been hit particularly hard by the icy blast. Feder- ated Farmers Hawke's Bay President Kevin Mitchell says several farmers are in the middle of late lambing and some newborns may perish. But he says it is too early to say what the damage may be, as farmers will not be able to go out and count stock or bodies until the storm is over. Abridged

Another chilly night for snow-stranded travellers Tuesday Oct 06, 2009 Herald By Isaac Davi- son and : Eloise Gibson, NZHERALD STAFF Motorists clear snow from their stranded vehicles near Napier yesterday. Inset: Blankets ease the chill for Areta Winikerei (L) and Melissa Barry. Photos / Hawke's Bay Today, Alan Gibson Two major North Island highways remain closed by unseasonal heavy snow this morning as motorists rescued from their stranded vehicles spent another night in emergency accommodation last night. Metservice was last night forecasting another 5cm to 8cm of snow above 500m on the central plateau last night. But the weather is improving with a few light snow showers still likely above 500 to 600 metres until this afternoon. Metservice said snow showers on the Desert Road would continue today, fuelled by an aggressive sub-Antarctic southerly wind. Police closed the Desert Road, State Highway 49 from Waiouru to Ohakune and State Highway One between Waiouru and Taihape last night. The roads remained closed this morning. Two lows, one east of Gisborne and the other north of Bay of Plenty, were directing a cold, moist southeast flow on to the North Island. The unseasonal snow caught sheep farmers in the middle of late lambing. Snow was reported as far north as Te Aroha and Katikati. Much of Waikato shivered in 6C temperatures and in Auckland the temperature peaked at 10C. Weather Watch head analyst Philip Duncan said yesterday's snowfalls were a rare event. "I've had people say to me this is far worse than the middle of winter and I have to agree. "Even if this was the middle of winter this is extreme." The Taupo-Napier highway looked like a car graveyard yesterday, as freezing, blustery weather prevented motorists retrieving vehicles trapped in heavy snow.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 30 Up to 900 people evacuated from the Napier-Taupo road were yesterday in temporary accommodation. Marae in Napier and Taupo took some travellers, and capacity in hotels and motels already crowded for school holidays was further stretched. TV One news reported that 56 people were taken to accommodation in Taupo and Waiouru after becoming stuck on the Desert Road. Police and members of the Taupo four-wheel-drive club took more than 200 people to the Rangitaiki Tavern for warmth and hot soup. Tavern owners Duncan and Marion Klaus said they had been up for 30 hours feeding and housing people. Abridged

Police leading drivers along SH5 By MIKE WATSON and KATHY WEBB - The Dominion Post 06/10/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/2933843/Police-leading-drivers-along-SH5

MIKE WATSON/The Dominion Post TASHA BROWN WEATHER WINS: Vehicles strewn across the Napier-Taupo Road where they were left when drivers and occupants were rescued from the snowstorm. The Napier-Taupo Road has been opened after being closed for two days because of heavy snow. In a 6pm update, the NZ Transport Agency, police and Taupo and Hastings Civil Defence said they had decided to reopen State Highway 5. Police escorts were leading queues of vehicles through from either side to "to prevent anxious motorists from driving dangerously". Napier- Taihape Road between Kuripapango and Taihape is still closed. LATE CLOSURES DEFENDED Roading authorities defended their decision not to close vital highways in the central and eastern North Island earlier, after hundreds of motorists were stranded in metre-deep snow. Last night around 100 cars remained stuck on the snow-covered Napier-Taupo Road and several hundred people have spent a second night in makeshift accommodation after a heavy snowfall cut off SH5. State Highway 1 was closed last night between Turangi and Taihape because of the bad weather, however authorities have re-opened a section of the road south of Waiouru this morning. A further 30 centimetres of snow was expected to fall in parts of the central North Island last night and today.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 31 But the road closures came too late for more than 600 motorists who took to the roads only to become stuck in the snow. MetService had issued warnings of heavy snow down to 600 metres in Tongariro National Park and on the Napier - Taupo Road as early as Saturday morning. Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper, who drove a bus to ferry motorists back to Taupo, said roads should have been closed a lot earlier, preventing the mass strandings of vehicles. "Rescuing 600 people on a horrendous night in blizzard conditions should not have had to have hap- pened," he said. "People were very scared and frightened, many, including the elderly, had a horrific night." New Zealand Transport Agency national state highways manager David Bates said road crews had been aware of the forecast but were caught out by the large amount of snow which fell in a short time. "It was a freak occurrence which was significantly worse than we anticipated for this time of year," he said. "We had the equipment and crews to keep the road open as long as we could but a massive temperature drop around 2pm swamped our trucks and equipment. "We are very sorry many motorists became trapped. It would have been a scary experience for all." Emergency services sprang into action when a civil defence emergency was issued late on Sunday after 668 motorists became stranded. A further 56 people were rescued on the Desert Road by the army and taken to Waiouru. Taupo 4WD club members retrieved motorists and took them back to Rangitaiki Tavern, where they were given hot drinks and taken by bus to Taupo. MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said such a heavy snowfall was unusual for the North Is- land in October. "[It's] more like a winter sort of snow than a spring snow." The unseasonal freeze was caused when a deep low passing over the North Island coincided with a cold southerly. The result was a sudden drop in temperatures, Mr McDavitt said. SNOW, BUT NO GOOD FOR SKIING The weekend's snowstorm on Mt Ruapehu was too violent to extend the skiing season, ski- field managers say. Blizzards that closed roads, stranded motorists and prompted civil emer- gencies in the central North Island have done little to boost the diminishing snow base at Turoa and Whakapapa ski-fields. Both fields were closed yesterday because of the weather. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts marketing manager Mike Smith said he doubted much of the snow would be left when the storm eased off, as the wind was so strong it was stopping the snow from settling on the ski-fields. "It will drift into the gullies and valleys." Abridged

SNOW. POWER CUTS. TREES BLOWN OVER Alison King | 7th October 2009 The Daily Post

This Springfield home came close to being hit by a tree on Sunday. PICTURE: STEPHEN PARKER Power was cut to about 1200 homes after high winds brought down trees and some city businesses were flooded as two cold days of rain drenched Rotorua. Snow also blanketed parts of the district yesterday - the first time in about 30 years there has been snow in October. Springfield weatherman Brian Holden said it was unusual for the district to get snow at this time of year. "My wife can remember snow on Mount Ngongotaha in October but that would have been about 30 years ago and before I started keeping records," he said. "Spring has arrived but there's often a sting in winter's tail and this is it. We've just got to weather it out." He said 55mm of rain fell from 8pm Sunday to 8am yesterday and the temperature dropped to 2C. Sunday's maximum temperature was 14C. Abridged

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 32 From great highs to shivering lows Otago Daily Times Thu, 24 Sep 2009 Photo by Peter McIntosh After Dunedin temperatures nudged the low twenties earlier this month, they plunged to single figures yesterday, when snow dusted the hills around the city. Dunedin city reached a high of only 7 degrees Celsius, but the temperature was even colder at 1degC on Swampy Summit at 3.30pm. The snow caused overnight temperatures to fall to zero throughout the region, with Ranfurly recording a chilly -3degC. (Abridged)

Snow in the Manawatu Gorge and Pahiatua Track Thursday, 24 September 2009 Press Release: New Zealand Police http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0909/S00400.htm Location: Central North Island District: Central There have been reports of snow in the Manawatu Gorge, Pahiatua Track, and Norsewood areas, as well as high winds on State Highway 1 between Sanson and Foxton and in the Ashurst area. State Highway 1, north of Bulls is also being affected by flooding. Motorists are urged to exercise caution in these areas.

New 'flavour' of El Nino under global warming Thursday, 24 September 2009 Science Media Centre http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0909/S00049.htm El Niño 'Modoki' - a new kind of El Niño will increase with global warming Research published today in Nature has identified a new type of El Niño climate anomaly that is occurring with more and more frequency as a consequence of human-induced global warming. In the classic El Niño pattern, weak trade winds lead to unusually warm surface sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific. In the altered El Niño, a region of warm ocean in the central Pacific is flanked on the east and west by unusually cool waters. This new pattern has been dubbed El Nino 'Modoki' -- a Japanese word meaning 'similar, but different'. The researchers, led by Sang-Wook Yeh of the Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute conclude that the new type of El Niño will happen five times more often by the end of this century. They expect it to cause major shifts in global climate patterns, including more effective forcing of droughts in Australia and India. Dr Brett Mullan, Manager of the Climate Variability Group at NIWA comments: "There is an ongoing debate in the scientific literature about whether global warming will lead to more "El Nino-like" circulation changes in the Pacific or not. However, when assessing impacts it is even more important to recognise that not all El Ninos are the same and can produce different climatic responses in countries around the Pacific rim such as New Zealand. The Yeh et al paper (Nature, 2009) essentially addresses this second aspect and provides evidence that El Nino "Modoki" events will become more common in future. "The word "Modoki" is a Japanese term to describe something that is "similar but different", and was first introduced to explain the unusual climate anomalies experienced in Japan in the 2004 El Nino, but the term has only became widely known internationally since 2007. A Mo- doki El Nino has the maximum sea surface warming in the central equatorial Pacific as op- posed to the eastern Pacific (the "classical" El Nino). Modoki El Ninos have become more common since 1990, and other recent research suggests the associated rainfall and temperature anomalies are slightly different for Australia and New Zealand than for the classical eastern Pacific El Nino. "So this new study suggests useful avenues of research on future New Zealand climate vari-

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 33 ability. For example, we know that El Ninos substantially reduce the likelihood of a tropical cyclone affecting New Zealand as it exits the tropics into mid-latitudes. But we don't know how Modoki El Ninos differ from classical El Ninos in this regard." Dr James Renwick, Principal Scientist, Climate Variability & Change, NIWA comments: "The paper by Yeh et al provides some very interesting dynamical insights into the changing nature of the El Nino cycle under climate change, showing how weakening trade winds combined with changes in the temperature structure of the Equatorial Pacific Ocean could lead to El Nino events Snow, ice chase spring away The Dominion Post 25 Sep 2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2901572/Snow-ice- chase-spring-away ROSS GIBLIN/GOING NOWHERE: Kirsty McLean, of Upper Hutt, comes to a standstill in snow on the Rimutaka Hill Road, where she was struck for 'two freezing hours' yesterday. Snowfalls have caused traffic chaos in the lower North Island and laid on a frosty welcome for spring lambs. MetService forecaster Derek Holland said yesterday's chilly easterly blast brought record low temperatures to the Kapiti Coast and single-figure lows to the rest of the region. The ther- mometer in Paraparaumu barely nudged 8 degrees Celsius - the lowest maximum temperature recorded in September since records began in 1993. (Abridged) Snow blankets Manawatu towns By MICHELLE DUFF and JILL GALLOWAY - Ma- nawatu Standard 25 Sep 2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/2901647/ Snow-blankets-Manawatu-towns BEN CURRAN/Manawatu Standard PICTUR- ESQUE: In Norsewood, snow settled thickly on the ground as cold, winter temperatures were felt throughout the country. Temperatures in the Manawatu dropped to 2.7 degrees, with rain expected to ease tomorrow. Rain and sleet lashed the rest of the country, but wrapped-up residents in a snowy Woodville enjoyed Christmas card-scenes. Snow and ice was reported on the roads from Ashhurst to Dannevirke, with high winds com- pounding the driving hazards. MetService forecaster Chris Noble said the bad weather was caused by cold air from the south meeting warm air blowing over from the Tasman Sea. "When these two air masses meet up, that's a good recipe for snow." (Abridged)

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 34 Snow dump tipped The Marlborough Express | 2009-10-08 | Marlborough might bear the brunt of a big snowmaking storm headed for the South Island later today, with forecasters warning it might contain some of the heaviest snowfalls of the year. The exact location of the worst weather was difficult to predict, but MetService said North Canterbury and Marlborough were likely to be hit. The Metservice warned farmers to consider moving their stock to lower levels or sheltered areas. Metservice weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said rain throughout Canterbury and Marlborough was likely to turn to snow early Friday. Abridged

Rain, thunder, gales and snow bring wintry deja vu Saturday Oct 10, 2009 by Kara Segedin NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm? c_id=1&objectid=10602380 Button up for another dose of the wet stuff today. Photo / Paul Estcourt Families heading home from the school holidays are warned to expect delays as the weekend brings rain, thunder, gales and even snow to much of the country. MetService has issued a severe weather warning for snow in Marlborough and the central North Island. Eight to 10cm was expected to fall on the Desert Rd overnight - enough to disrupt traffic. Today should see 10cm to 15cm fall above 700m in the central North Island and the Hawkes Bay ranges. Abridged

Bumper season on NZ slopes TVNZ Published: 9:08PM Sunday October 11, 200 http://tvnz.co.nz/travel-news/bumper-season-nz- slopes-3066345

The Remarkables Skiers are making the most of excellent slope conditions in what's expected to be a record season across the country. The skiing is over at Queenstown and Wanaka's ski fields but Mount Hutt's had half a metre of snow in the last few days while Turoa announced it's extending its season by two weeks. It turned into a record breaking season for Turoa two weeks ago and there is still a month to go. "I think Kiwis have chosen to holiday closer to home, as the American call the staycation, we've noticed that here," says Mike Smith, Mt Ruapehu Marketing manager. The snow base has been half what it was last year but it came at the right time, along with good weather and Kiwis responded. As the Remarkables draws to a close with a retro theme, looking back on the season of 2009 there's plenty to celebrate. Abridged

'Days of work' needed after storm By JONATHON HOWE - Manawatu Standard 12/10/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/2953950/Days-of-work-needed-after- storm WARWICK SMITH/ Manawatu Standard

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 35 TIMBER!: Palmerston North man Keith Malcolm takes a detour around the felled trees on the Bridle Track, near Buick Cres, that were hit hard by Friday night's winds. Strong winds yanked trees from the ground and tossed them across driveways, roads and footpaths during a storm in Palm- erston North. The south-easterly winds tore through the city and the Manawatu District on Friday night and Saturday morning, prompting council workers, police and firefighters into action. Metservice forecaster Derek Holland said the south-easterlies reached about 81 kmh. The winds were caused by a low pressure system over the North Island brushing against another weather system over the South Island. "It was a big blow. A storm the same night caused trouble for ferries in the Cook Strait and Hawera residents were hit with gale force winds. Abridged

Why spring does not always mean the end of winter Analyse This - David Shillington - Manawatu Standard 13/10/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/features/switched-on/2959077/Why-spring- does-not-always-mean-the-end-of-winter Last week, intense snowstorms killed many lambs on high-country farms of the North Island. Hundreds of people shivered in their homes without power for days when powerlines were brought down by blizzard-like conditions, which also stranded motorists on the Desert Rd and Napier-Taupo highway. To quote MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt, these storms were "very late, seeing that we were well past the equinox (September 21) and we are now just over two months away from the longest day, or midsummer (December 21)". Another MetService forecaster, Peter Smith said, "Cold snaps like this were quite common in spring. Spring is a season where you can have quite changeable, unsettled weather, so it's not unheard of to have this sort of cold snap". Two questions spring to mind: why during longer days with more sunshine hours do we get such cold snaps, and where does the heat from the warmer August and September months go? While there is still considerable public debate regarding climate change, scientists do have a good understanding of the dynamic nature of the Earth's atmospheric circulation, which brings about such contrasting weather events. The atmosphere is our protective blanket, nurturing life on Earth. It acts as a protector from the hostile environment of empty space and high-energy ultraviolet and other ionising radiation streaming earthwards from nuclear fusion reactions in the sun. The atmosphere is dynamic and transports water from the oceans to the land, acting as a big condenser in a huge solar-powered still. Salt water is purified through evaporation, leaving the salt behind in the ocean, and subsequently condenses as rain. Fortunately, the surface air, known as the troposphere, is homogeneous, mixing easily on a global scale. However, this mixing can cause high winds, from mixing different air masses, causing other atmospheric phenomena, such as lightning and thunderstorms, which we call weather. Weather starts with wind, which is caused by different air masses with contrasting temperatures rising from different parts of the Earth, the hot equator contrasting with the cold North and South poles. There are also the dark, cool side and sunny, warm side of the Earth, which change every 12 hours. The atmosphere containing the envelope of gases surrounding the Earth is divided into different regions, depending on altitude. Atmospheric chemistry and behaviour varies a great deal with altitude. The hot equatorial air rises to the top of the troposphere (the lowest layer in the atmosphere), which extends up to about 16km above the Earth's surface.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 36 Holiday fun in the sun Sunday Oct 25, 2009 By Heather McCracken and Al- ice Neville Herald on Sunday

Rashidah Hudson, 20, and Casey Lowther, 19, enjoy Mission Bay. Photo / Herald on Sunday Much of the country enjoyed a sunny start to the holiday weekend yesterday - with the fine weather predicted to continue today. The Bay of Plenty had the day's highest temperature - 19C. Abridged

Spring snowfalls return to high roads Thursday October 29, 2009 Source: Newstalk ZB/ ONE News http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/spring-snowfalls- return-high-roads-3098618

Source: ONE News Snow on the Desert Road Snow is falling on both the Desert Road in the central North Island and the Rimutaka Hill Road north of Wellington. MetService says about five to eight centimetres of snow is expected to accumulate on the highest parts of the Desert Road before midday Thursday, with lighter falls down to about 600 metres. The snow showers further south are lighter. And in the South Island, snow showers in passes on the Southern Alps have cleared. Abridged

NEW RADAR AT MAHIA Thursday, 29 October 2009 -NZPA http://www.guide2.co.nz/politics/news/new-radar-gives-metservice-a-better-view-on- mahia-peninsula/11/12148 The MetService will tomorrow open its newest weather radar station on the Mahia Peninsula, south of Gisborne. The station, a 6.7m fibreglass dome on top of a 10m-high steel cylinder "looks a bit like a giant golf ball sitting on a tee", according to MetService project director Tony Quayle. The radar has already begun operating and started supplying data and images to the MetSer- vice website. MetService chairwoman Sarah Astor told the commerce select committee at Parliament today that the Mahia radar was the second of five being installed as part of a programme to upgrade radar coverage. Constructed high on the Ormond family's Kinikini Station, it will provide a more detailed view of what is happening. Mr Quayle said it has a 300km range of view covering the East Coast of the North Island, the Gisborne and Hawke's Bay regions, and across the Ureweras into the central North Island. Better information on fast-moving and intense rainstorms was expected to give better warning to local authorities and people in areas vulnerable to severe weather. Ms Astor said the $12 million programme to extend the chain of MetService radar stations started with one in Taranaki last year. Further radar stations will be installed in the Bay of Plenty, on the West Coast of the South Island and in Northland over the next three years. They are adding to existing other weather radars at Warkworth, north of Auckland, Wellington and Rakaia, in Canterbury, which use Doppler technology to find and track storms containing rain,

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 37 hail or snow. A wind radar at Invercargill has also been enhanced to track precipitation when it was not being used to track weather balloons. The completed radar network is expected to provide seamless coverage of most of the country.

Sunny forecast for Auckland Marathon Friday Oct 30, 2009 Herald Runners crossing the Auckland harbour bridge in the 2006 marathon. Photo / Dean Pur- cell. Dry weather is forecast for the biggest ever Auckland Marathon this Sun- day, with more than 13,500 runners and walkers lined up to compete. Metservice forecaster John Crouch said temperatures around 6 am on Sunday should be around 9 degrees, rising to 13 or 14 by 10am. "It should be pretty good run- ning conditions," he said, with a light south-westerly and some cloud. There was only a small chance of light showers. Abridged

Pan-Pacific weather site launched 02/11/2009 Newstalk ZB A new pan-Pacific metrological website has been launched, aiming to share timely weather forecasts to help save lives and reduce property damage.

Experienced MetService forecasters will be providing daily support for colleagues in Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

MetService's International Operations Manager Peter Fisher is proud of the breakthrough and so many countries working together. He says he has been getting positive feedback from all the countries and believes the project will be drawing meteorological and emergency man- agement organisations closer together.

Ship breaks moorings in gales 4 November 2009 Radio NZ http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/11/04/1245d31ef2cb Gale force winds that battered Canterbury caused a ship to break its moorings in Lyttelton Harbour. The cargo ship, carrying 2800 containers, broke its moorings just before 8am on Wednesday and had to be towed away from the port. The vessel reberthed once the 100km/h winds died down. The gales were also forecast for Fiordland, Southland and Otago. Copyright © 2009 Radio New Zealand

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 38 Hickey NZ's top weather presenter Published: 8:58PM Wednesday November 11, 2009 One News http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/hickey-nz-s-top- weather-presenter-3136075 Source: ONE News Jim Hickey TVNZ's Jim Hickey has been named consummate top class weather presenter while colleague Tamati Cof- fey has been judged most promising weather presenter. Weather presenters could sometimes make the weather come alive for the viewer, says judging panel convener Bob McDavitt. "Jim Hickey has that magic touch and Tamati Coffey seems to be picking it up as well." TV3's evening news won the Meteorological Society's 2009 award for best television weather production.

Weather to get more extreme, say scientists By Eloise Gibson NZ Herald Thursday Nov 12, 2009 Photo / Dean Purcell Weather forecast for 2100: more rain in winter and spring for the West Coast and Southland, getting drier for those in the east and north. Sea levels higher than average. Scientists gave an update yesterday on the state of the climate ahead of next month's world negotiations in Copenhagen at which countries will decide how much to curb greenhouse gas pollution by from 2012. Scientists believe some global warming is inevitable even if emissions were halted today - meaning an increase in westerly wind flows over New Zealand bringing more rain to the west and south. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research's top climate scientist, Dr David Wratt, told the Herald that in general New Zealand would follow the expected world pattern of dry areas getting drier and wet areas getting wetter - but climate models suggested we would be better off than drought-hit Australia. Although New Zealand would escape the brunt of extreme droughts predicted for Australia and elsewhere, climate models suggested droughts here would be harsher and the very wettest days become even wetter and more frequent. Because sea level rise will not be uniform around the globe, Dr Tim Naish, the director of the Antarctic Research Centre at Victoria University, said New Zealand could experience more sea level rise than Northern Hemisphere nations. Dr Naish said satellite pictures showed land ice at the poles was melting twice as fast as five years ago. If the Greenland ice sheet melted quicker than Antarctica, as it was expected to, sea levels would rise higher in the Southern Hemisphere than in the north. That was because gravitational changes and shifts in the earth's spin axis would raise seas by a larger amount in whichever hemisphere experienced the least melting at its pole. Dr Wratt said the added rain and predicted warmer temperatures could give Southland farmers and farmers on the South Island's West Coast a better growing season for grass, though it would not be so good for those in dry areas predicted to get less rain. Overall, total rain for the whole country was not expected to change greatly. Niwa was working on better models to show how droughts, rain and wind patterns were expected to change to the end of the century.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 39 The International Panel on Climate Change estimates there is a 50 per cent chance of keeping warming to 2C if CO2 levels in the atmosphere are limited to 450 parts per million or less, although the real temperature change at that level may be anywhere between 1.4C and 3.1C.

Strong winds rip through Canterbury David Williams - The Press 13/11/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/3060560/Strong- winds-rip-through-Canterbury Dean Kozanic Strong winds caused part of this tree to come down on off on Bealey Ave. A southerly change has ripped through Christchurch this morning, grounding helicopters, downing power lines and knocking a tree onto a car. MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said the temperature dropped from the predicted day’s high of 14 degrees to 8 degrees, once the southerly blew through. McDavitt said the blustery winds, which gusted up to 70kmh, had grounded helicopters at Christchurch’s Royal New Zealand Show, sent banners flying and sent many people chasing hats. (Abridged)

All Whites win icing on their cake By MATT CALMAN and KIRAN CHUG - The Dominion Post 14/11/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/3062240/All-Whites-win-icing-on-their-cake ANDREW GORRIE/ The Dominion Post WHITE KNIGHTS: New Zealand supporters, Morgan Rowan, 12, (back), Jack Kilty, 9, Finn McMillan, 9, and Devon McMillan will be screaming themselves hoarse for the All Whites . The boys will join nearly 36,000 other fans in screaming themselves hoarse at Westpac Stadium in Wellington tonight. A win over Bahrain will secure the All Whites a place at next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. The team last achieved the feat 27 years ago. Jack said he was really looking forward to the game. Asked for a prediction, he said: "The All Whites are gonna win." Commentator Murray Allison called the game against China in 1982, which the All Whites won to reach the finals. He will be at the stadium tonight. "2-1 is my pick to the All Whites. I'm optimistic but it won't be easy." STADIUM ATMOSPHERE SET TO BE A BLAST Windy Wellington will live up to its reputation tonight, with gusts swirling around Westpac Stadium as the All Whites take on Bahrain. MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said the weather was unlikely to affect conditions on the pitch, but the northwesterly wind would make it feel colder than the 13 degrees Celsius forecast. Despite the "swirling motion" of the wind, Mr McDavitt said the weather for the game should be dry. He suggested fans take along white scarves – to support the players, but also for a little protection from the gusts. Abridged

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 40 The air cools as it rises, moving towards the two tropics in the two hemispheres in what are called Hadley Cells. When the cooler air reaches the surface at the tropics, some of it travels along the Earth's surface back towards the equator, replacing the rising equatorial air. Air at the equator's surface does not move much – known as the Doldrums – with the consequence that the northern and southern-hemisphere air masses do not mix easily. At the tropics, the high, cooler equatorial moisture-laden air brings high rainfall. The condensation of water in the form of rain releases stored latent heat energy, which warms the surface tropical air, causing it to flow along the Earth's surface away from the tropics towards the poles, meeting colder air, which causes it to rise again. The air in the troposphere around the Earth is therefore homogeneous, keeping our atmosphere constant and relatively stable. More locally, the recent burst of cold air from the Southern Ocean was a reminder that spring is not necessarily the end of winter in New Zealand. A high-pressure system to the south of New Zealand, cold Southern Ocean air trapped in a cold front, and a low-pressure system over the North Island reminded us that spring is not always a smooth transition between winter and summer. David Shillington is head of Universal College of Learning's School of Applied Health Sciences.

Landslide hits Rai highway By MAIKE VAN DER HEIDE - The Marl- borough Express 16/10/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough- express/news/2971278/Landslide- hits-Rai-highway

DIVERTED: Cars are diverted around a massive landslide blocking State High- way 6 between Blenheim and Nelson near the Rai Saddle. Heavy vehicles are being diverted via Nelson Lakes. As Marlborough prepares to celebrate 150 years since it split from Nelson, Mother Nature has enforced that split by dumping a huge landslide on the main highway between the two regions. Abseilers will today attempt to clear 2500 cubic metres of earth, rocks and trees on the road just north of the Rai Saddle on State Highway 6. Originally a 500 cubic metre slip that came down at 6.30am on Thursday, further slips overnight added to the blockage. Trucks and buses are travelling between Blenheim and Nelson via SH63 and Nelson Lakes, adding an extra hour to what is usually just over a 90- minute trip. Mr Whight says an accumulation of factors, including rain, appeared to be the main cause of the incident. The MetService forecast for Blenheim and Nelson throughout today and tomorrow was for more wet weather. Abridged

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 41 Soggy Wellington braces for more rain By KATIE CHAPMAN - The Dominion Post 17/10/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/ national/2973397/Soggy-Wellington -braces-for-more-rain

PHIL REID/ The Dominion Post WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE: Wendy Brown of Muritai Rd, East- bourne, retrieves a plant that washed down her driveway. Between about 8pm on Thursday and 9am yesterday, 69 millimetres of rain was dumped on Lower Hutt. MetService also recorded 35mm at the Kelburn weather station from 6pm on Thursday to 9am yesterday, and 28mm from 5pm at Wellington airport. The deluge caused slips and surface flooding throughout the region. East- bourne was worst hit, with knee- deep flooding in about 20 houses. Muritai Rd resident Wendy Brown said the creek behind her house had been blocked, causing the water to flow down her driveway. The Open Polytechnic in Lower Hutt was hit by two slips yesterday morning, sending dirt and trees into buildings on the eastern side of the campus. More flooding in Ngauranga Gorge about 10.30am yesterday sent storm- water rushing down the road "like a torrent", a witness said. Abridged

Long weekend a bright spot ahead Tuesday Oct 20, 2009 By Eloise Gibson NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ news/article.cfm? c_id=1&objectid=10604223

People fish in the dying light under the Auckland Harbour Bridge yesterday. Photo / Steven McNicholl Dust off the barbie and bring out the fishing rods - forecasters are picking a sunny Labour weekend for most of the country. MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said early indications were that a front that was moving over the country yesterday and tonight would say goodbye to New Zealand on Friday and clear the way for a fine weekend. He said a high pressure system would move over the North Island on Saturday and Sunday, bringing fine weather. Abridged

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 42 Toast Martinborough a blast By TANYA KATTERNS - The Dominion Post 16/11/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/ food-wine/3064753/Toast- Martinborough-a-blast/ JULIA ARNOLD Firemen attend to a marquee blown by heavy winds at Palliser Estate.

It huffed and it puffed and it blew the tents down at Toast Martinbor- ough, but gale-force winds failed to blow away the festive atmosphere of the country's biggest wine party. Wind gusts of 120kmh had the fire service and vineyard staff scram- bling yesterday. Martinborough Vineyard's main food and wine tent was turned into a toppled pile of canvas and steel at 10.30am. Dozens of people held on to keep it from blowing away until backup arrived. During the next hour, two more marquees crumpled, signs were ripped from their posts and power was knocked out at Ata Rangi vineyard. But still the party went on, with gas cooking and backup generators keeping the food hot and the white wine cool. Now in its 18th year and attracting 10,000 revellers, the event continues to pull in newcomers and old-timers – those who have weathered the conditions as they come year after year to taste, mingle and swirl the fine vintages. MetService forecaster Gerard Barrow said winds in Martinborough gusted up to 120kmh for most of the afternoon. The strongest gusts in the lower North Island, recorded around Castle- point, hit 139kmh yesterday morning. Temperatures hovered around the 17 degrees celsius mark. Abridged

NZ's glaciers melting away - scientists Mon, 23 Nov 2009 By Lachlan Forsyth TV3 http://www.3news.co.nz/NZs- glaciers-melting-away--- scientists/tabid/419/ articleID/130899/cat/909/ Default.aspx NZ's glaciers have halved in size in the last century On the eve of the Copenhagen climate summit, New Zealand- ers have been presented with dramatic evidence that we are not immune to climate change. The country's glaciers are melting away according to a Niwa report that shows they have lost half of their snow and ice in the last century.

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 43 It has long been known that the Tasman Glacier - the country's longest - is shrinking. But the latest information from Niwa shows virtually every other glacier in the country is doing like- wise. "We've seen about a 50 percent decrease in the ice volume of the Southern Alps," says Jordy Hendrikx, snow and ice scientist. "So if you were considering a health status, they've lost half of their health already." Niwa says glacier length is misleading because total volume can be decreasing even while length is increasing. Their concerns surround the glaciers' mass balance - the snowfall required to replace the snow melt, and thereby maintain a glacier's size. Since 1997, less snow has been falling and more ice has been melting. And since 2000, the southern glaciers have been below their tipping point - meaning that, apart from a small spike earlier this decade, the mass balance has declined sharply. Prime Minister John Key says he takes the demise of our glaciers seriously, just not seriously enough to attend Copenhagen himself. "The physics of climate change are bloody obvious, which is if you put more greenhouse gases in the planet, it will warm," says Mr Salinger.

Hot spell one-day wonder By CASSANDRA POKONEY - The Southland Times 24/11/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/ news/3090632/Hot-spell-one-day-wonder JOHN HAWKINS/ The Southland Times SUMMER IN THE CITY: Myhayla, 4, and her brother Phoenix, 2, make the most of a hot day in Queens Park with their dad Jessie Tonga. Don't put your coats away just yet – yesterday's sizzling hot weather was a one-day wonder. Much of the lower South Island basked in sunshine and hot temperatures yesterday, with most centres reaching the high 20s. Dunedin topped the list, reaching 30 degrees celsius, with Al- exandra not far behind on 29C. Balclutha reached 27C, Inver- cargill and Queenstown reached 26C, and Gore hit 25C. Metservice forecaster Shane Bidois said the hot weather was caused by warm nor'west- ers moving across the lower part of the South Island. How- ever, before people got too ex- cited at the apparent arrival of summer they should keep their coats handy, as wet, cool weather was on its way, he said. Rain was forecast for most of today. It was likely to be accom- panied by the usual strong winds, Mr Bidois said. Abridged

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 44 Icebergs head from Antarctica for New Zealand By RAY LILLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER for SeattlePI Nov 25, 2009 http://www.seattlepi.com/ national/1104ap_as_new_zealand_icebergs.html In this Nov. 16, 2009 photo released by the Australian Antarctic Division, an iceberg is seen at Sandy Bay on Macquarie Island's east coast, in the Southern Ocean 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) southeast of Tasma- nia, Australia. It is very rare to see icebergs from Macquarie Island and is uncommon to find icebergs in this general region. (AP Photo/Australian Antarctic Division, Eve Merfield)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Ships are on alert and maritime authorities are monitoring the movements of hundreds of menacing icebergs drifting toward New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean, officials said. The area is not a major shipping lane and few sailors are out in November - spring in the southern hemisphere - but ships that traverse the area have little hull protection and could be significantly damaged by a collision with an iceberg, which typically has 90 percent of its mass under water. "It's an alert to shipping to be aware these potential hazards are around and to be on the look- out for them," Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman Sophie Hazelhurst said of an official navi- gation warning issued for the area south of the country. Large numbers of icebergs last floated close to New Zealand in 2006, when some were visible from the coastline - the first such sighting since 1931. The current flotilla of icebergs that split off Antarctic ice shelves is slowly drifting in the direction of New Zealand. The nearest one, measuring about 330 to 660 feet (100 to 200 meters) long, was 160 miles (260 kilometers) southeast of New Zealand's Stewart Island on Tuesday, Australian glaciologist Neal Young said. He said it was impossible to tell from the satellite image how tall the iceberg is. New Zealand oceanographer Mike Williams said the icebergs are drifting at a speed of about 25 kilometers (16 miles) a day and he expects most won't reach New Zealand, similar to the 2006 flotilla, of which many were directed eastward away from the country by ocean currents and wind. Williams, a scientist with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Re- search, said he was "pretty sure these icebergs came from the break up of the Ross Sea Ice Shelf in 2000" - an ice shelf the size of France and the origin of the 2006 flotilla of icebergs. Abridged

METEOROLOGY: November 25, 2009 Frank Kane’s Blog site , on a New Zealand Science, Mathematics and Technology Teacher Fel- lowship, looking at how mathematics helps contemporary NZ society http://where-is-this-stuff-used.blogspot.com/2009/11/meteorolgy.html We probably all take for granted the weather forecasts in our newspapers and on radio and TV, but there is an awful lot of mathematics behind them (or some might say a lot of awful mathematics!). Jim McGregor, the meteorologist at Victoria University, mentioned to me early in the year that he gets students coming along to him saying they’ve long been interested in the weather and interested in studying it. The first question he asks is “How much calculus have you done?” If the answer is “Not much”, he tells them “Sorry, but in that case, it won’t be

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 45 possible”. And an understanding of some Physics is essential too. Along with derivatives and integrals, logarithmic and trigonometric relationships will also be commonly encountered in any book on meteorology.

Pictured: The top of the MetService building in Kel- burn on a typically fine and calm day in Welling- ton!

The fact that differentiation is involved should come as no surprise to senior secondary students, as we are dealing with things (e.g. temperature) changing with time and position, and motion of the air, so velocity and acceleration will be involved. To compound the fact that the motions are in three dimensions (unlike 1- dimensional kine- matics), they are being observed from a rotating reference frame (the earth), giving an effective force producing curved paths (the Coriolis effect). The convention is to use x for the eastward direction, y for the northward and z for the verti- cal direction, and use u, v and w respectively for the corresponding velocities in those direc- tions. The equation of motion of air (essentially Acceleration = Force/ mass) in the Eastward direction is

The first thing to notice, apart from the complexity, is two things that look like derivatives, which is just what they are. The first term on the right is a pressure gradient force, but looking just how pressure changes with respect to the x direction, hence a ‘partial derivative’, with a curly rather than straight d symbol. The Coriolis effect gives rise to the two terms on the right involving the angular velocity of the Earth’s rotation, Ω (= 2πradians/1 day), and the lati- tude, ø. The two terms on the left involving a (the mean radius of the Earth) are due to the cur- vature. Actually, the equation might have looked a bit more frightening, if the first term on the left side (an acceleration term) and last term on the right (friction or viscous force) had been written out with individual components:

And we can see there that second derivatives are involved in the viscous force, although as it happens this force is very small compared with the other forces. Now, this complex differential equation for the eastward component of momentum is just one of six linked equations that forms a mathematical model of our large-scale weather system. Advances in computing power over recent years has meant that it is possible to numerically solve these equations, but it requires the assimilation of a large set of data on the atmosphere at different locations, from satellites, planes, balloons, ships and land weather stations. Global forecasts are produced every 12 hours using super computers at three locations, two

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 46 in England and one in Washington. With modern computer power, it is now possible to forecast up to 7 days. These forecasts are sent around the world, and as soon as they receive them, our local forecasters study them carefully, marking on them important features. But even with the advanced computer power, the global forecasts are limited in showing local weather. The numerical solution of the global model works with a 60 km grid size, which would not be able to take into account local topography. Modellers at MetService produce a finer resolution model, with a 12 km grid size, using values from the global model as input at the boundary of the region. And they may soon move to an 8 km grid. To illustrate, two maps are shown, the Tasman map and below it the NZ region map, which is based on the 12km grid resolution in the modelling. Note the wind bards giving greater detail over the country. Each stroke on the tail of a wind barb represents 10 knots. The finer scale model does not try to forecast out so far as the Tasman one, which gives a 7 day rain and wind forecast.

These maps can be seen on the MetService website ( http://www.metservice.co.nz/ )

It's not really a spaceship, just a weatherman's delight The Dominion Post 30/11/2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/3107592/Its-not-really-a-spaceship-just-a-weathermans-delight STRANGE FORMATION: Lenticular clouds, like this one seen in Island Bay, are stationary clouds that result from strong winds over rugged terrain and form at high altitudes. Residents of the Wellington suburb of Island Bay could be forgiven for believing they were about to be invaded by aliens after this object appeared above Cook Strait. It was in fact a lenticular, or lens-shaped, cloud. The natural phenomenon is commonly mis- taken for a UFO. Lenticular clouds – or altocumulus standing len- ticularis – are stationary clouds that result from strong winds over rugged terrain and form at high altitudes. MetService forecaster Rob Kerr, who lives in Island Bay and saw the cloud on Fri- day evening, said it was one of the best he had seen since a similar formation at Castlepoint three years ago. Mr Kerr said lenticular clouds were common around the Wellington region "if you know what you're looking for". They can generally be seen over Mt Orongorongo in the Rimutaka Range. "The odd thing about it is that the cloud stays still, it's like an eddy. But the air is actually flow- ing through the cloud at quite high speed and that's why they change shapes in quite odd ways." Abridged

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 47

WHAT IS THE MET SOCIETY ?

The Society is a group of people from around New Zealand (and overseas) who like to share their fascination in weather and its antics. The Society was inaugu- rated at a meeting held in Wellington on 11 October 1979. The objects of the So- ciety are to encourage an interest in the atmosphere, weather, and climate, particularly as related to the New Zealand region.

What does the Society provide? Access to a lively committee who are specially elected watchdogs for any conten- tious issue involving weather or climate. For members in the main centres: An e-group for communications plus organ- ised meetings throughout the year on weather and climate topics. A quarterly newsletter full of member’s news and views plus descriptions of recent significant weather. An annual professional journal Weather and Climate , providing members access to the latest peer-reviewed thinking in the profession of meteorology. It is accepted internationally as the journal that gives recognition of the value of meteorological and climatological work done in New Zealand. It contains papers of interest to both professional and general readers. It also includes book reviews and explanations of the unusual. Members are invited to send in their own descriptions or photos. An annual conference. A web site http://metsoc.rsnz.org/ Who are the Society members? We are a mix of professionals and non-professionals. We come from a broad range of backgrounds, including: meteorologists, weather watchers and storm chasers Climatologists and environmentalists, Geographers and geophysicists, Atmospheric scientists, physicists and chemists hydrologists and ecologists sailors and divers trampers and climbers Aviators, flyers and glider pilots agriculturists and aquaculturists astronomers and cloud-admirers economists and engineers professional weather forecasters

Meteorological Society of New Zealand Newsletter - December 2009 - Page 48

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Anyone with an interest in the atmosphere, weather and climate of New Zealand may join us. We welcome applications from non-professionals and from those in disciplines related to the study of the atmosphere (oceanography, hydrology, etc.).

A brief description of the Society and a list of services are outlined on the other side of this page. If you wish to apply for membership, please complete the form below.

I wish to apply for membership of the Meteorological So-

1. Name and Address (include email):

2. My interest in meteorology is:

3. I am willing to have my name and location published in Society documents: YES NO

4. Payment (annual): Ordinary members ...... $35.00* Institutional members ...... $105.00* Overseas posting surcharge ...... $15.00* Subscriptions are due on 1 August. * Rates here are for 2008/9 and may change at AGM. Our financial year is from 1 August to 31 July.

5. Signature: ______Date:______6. Please return this form, and a cheque (made out to Meteorological Society of N.Z. ) to The Secretary Meteorological Society of New Zealand P.O. Box 6523, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 New Zealand