We have two sets of breaking news tonight – two major scrub fires continue to burn out of control on Christchurch’s Port Hills.  Smoke from the fire can be seen across the city and neighbouring communities and towns.

Weather conditions are mild with 17 degrees and tomorrow the high is 24 with dry, breezy, NW winds. 

Stuff.co.nz has the latest here

Photo via twitter.com/mediabeastnz sent in to our Twitter account: @WeatherWatchNZ

Meanwhile in California, USA, 188,000 people have now been evacuated from several Northern California counties after damage to a spillway at the Oroville Dam threatens people below.

A recent social media update from WeatherWatch.co.nz said the dam may burst, which we apologise was incorrect. However 188,000 people have been evacuated due to risk of sudden floods – so the information is a little confusing.

CNN has just confirmed it’s possible that a crisis could be averted because the California Department of Water Resources has been quoted by another organisation as saying the erosion “was not advancing as rapidly as they thought”.

Helicopters are now dropping rocks into the damaged portion of the spillway.

The dam is an earthfill embankment on California’s Feather River. The dam is a stunning 220m high and is America’s tallest dam.

In comparison New Zealand’s largest dam is the Benmore Dam at half the height – 110m.

CNN.com has much more details here

– WeatherWatch.co.nz

    (a CNN affiliate)