> From the WeatherWatch archives
A radio copywriter says he was nearly killed on his way to work yesterday morning as a pane of glass from a highrise building was blown out and landed right next to where he was walking.
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Aucklander Iain Rea says the glass window, complete with window frame and latches, crashed just one metre next to him as he walked by.
“I had just crossed the road (Hobson Street) and gone under the balcony of Havard on Hobson. The window hit the metal canopy and then bounced onto the road where I’d just been’ Mr Rea told WeatherWatch.co.nz.
Mr Rea has questioned the Auckland Council building inspectors who approved the building – one of many inner apartment blocks which went up quickly in the last decade.
Weather conditions at the time were wet and windy but WeatherWatch.co.nz says the gusts in the city weren’t at the level to cause serious problems like this.
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Photos / Iain Rea
– WeatherWatch.co.nz
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Before you add a new comment, take note this story was published on 24 Nov 2011.
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westcoast on 24/11/2011 8:50pm
“Weather conditions at the time were wet and windy but WeatherWatch.co.nz says the gusts in the city weren’t at the level to cause serious problems like this.”
ahhhh
but high rise buildings cause the windspeed to accelerate around them/past them/between them. Ricky recorded gusts over 30 knots neat the city center
looks the window was “sucked” out, frame and all (the securing of the frame might be questionable)
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RW on 24/11/2011 8:31pm
About 20 years ago I was walking along Wellington’s Victoria Street. Just ahead of me (by less than 3 metres) I saw a builder’s wooden trestle crash down onto the top bars of a wooden barrier fence (between the footpath and the road). It wiped out one of the top bars and left a gap in the fence. If I had been a couple of seconds earlier it would have landed on me – I doubt if I would have heard it falling in time. I discovered that it had fallen from the roof of a building at least 7-8 stories up. Reception on the bottom floor of the building didn’t know who was working up there – clueless. I should have lodged a complaint. I was on my way to a work performance interview with a rather unpleasant boss. After this escape I was pretty unconcerend about the interview!
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