Cyclone Lusi Update

March 14, 2014 10:52 pm

This could be a significant adverse weather event affecting many parts of the country.

 

Cyclone Lusi is expected to move southwards today (Friday), bringing widespread heavy rain and easterly gales to the North Island from tonight (Friday night), and the upper South Island during Saturday. Rain is forecast to become heavy in Northland this evening and 80-100mm are likely to have accumulated there by Saturday afternoon.

The rain should spread quickly southwards, totalling more than 100mm in Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne by Sunday morning.
In the upper South Island, Marlborough and Nelson look set to receive the most intense rainfall, with up to 170mm accumulating in the Nelson ranges from Saturday afternoon till noon Sunday.
Easterly gales will accompany the heavy rain, with severe gusts of 120km/h in Northland, Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula, and 130km/h west of the Kaimai Range.
The heavy rain is likely to cause slips and surface flooding, and the severe easterly gales could make driving hazardous, lift roofs, and bring down trees and powerlines.
QUICK TIPS:
  • Talk to your neighbours about resources and needs should the worst happen
  • Move stock away from the expected prevailing wind direction/low lying flood prone areas
  • Check generators work with adequate fuel/lubricants to hand
  • Charge up every mobile phone you have (as long as it takes a SIM it will work)
  • If power does fail, use SMS text instead of voice
  • Top up bottles, jugs with potable water in case the storm disrupt water supplies
  • Check your household for torches/batteries as well as food
  • In case power fails, make sure your BBQ has a full bottle of gas for cooking
  • Ensure you have tarpaulins in case your roof lifts in high wind
  • Check around your property and secure loose items that become dangerous in high winds
  • Wait until the storm has passed to undertake any remedial/repair work.  This includes looking for:
    1. Damaged or highly strained fence lines
    2. Downed or leaning trees including exposed root beds and take care or call in a contractor
    3. Damaged buildings, bridges or infrastructure
    4. Downed power lines, or lines which are still on farm buildings or fences.  Please treat all downed lines as LIVE.

 

You are encouraged to stay up to date with the latest MetService forecasts, warnings and watches.

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