On this day 11 years ago, very strong winds buffeted the Capital and also parts of the Wairarapa causing quite a few problems. The 130 kph winds tore off roofing iron in Featherston and it was also responsible for closing the Rimutaka Hill Road to small vehicles. The winds on the Wairarapa side of the road were reported to be gusting over 170 kph!

Going back a little further and in 1907 the Waikato River was running very high after almost a week of drenching rain in the region. It was measued at one point that the river was rising 25mm every 10 minutes and the result was that many low-lying areas, including roads were under water and there was considerable damage to crops and roading as a result.

Today fortunately, it doesn’t appear that there’s too much severe weather on the horizon and quite a bit of sunshine is expected across much of New Zealand however there is still a risk of a thunderstorm in one or two inland parts.Temperatures are starting to warm up and the mid to high 20’s should be commonplace for many and tomorrow looks as if the thermometers will go even further in some places in the east.

A brief look at the weekend and cooling rains are looking a possibility in the south and hopefully falling on the parched Canterbury Plains plus fingers crossed too that it inches its way further north.