Big Storm

Storm warnings come and go, but by New Zealand standards our current one is pretty big. Actually, it’s big by many countries' standards.

A sub-tropical depression (a "weather bomb") is lashing northern New Zealand at the moment, with “hurricane force winds” reported in the far north. The worst of the storm has yet to hit us in Auckland, but already the winds are pretty strong and that makes the rain seem worse than it is. However, the intensity of the storm is building.

The eye of the storm is due to pass over or very near Auckland, which will mean a dramatic drop in pressure, similar to a low-level hurricane. That means a risk of storm surges. There's also a risk of fast-rising floods in streams, so there could be flood damage.

We're not at risk of flood damage where our house is, and we don’t have any big trees near the house anymore. So, we’re unlikely to have storm damage like that from last year’s weather bomb—we hope. However, neighbours have loose things that could take flight, so we’re keeping a watchful eye.

I took the photo above about an hour ago out the car windscreen as I waited while Nigel ran an errand. The windscreen wipers had been turned off only a minute or so earlier, and the wind was driving the water in several directions. And this was while the storm was still pretty mild.

The photo below is of the window above my desk, taken about an hour earlier. Not as dramatic, but I just liked it. Right now, the window looks more like the windscreen photo above as the winds pick up speed and force.

This could be a wild night.