Warning as waves up to 10 metres high threaten Coast; snow and gales to strike

Thursday, 1 August 2019

High winds from the south and west will affect all the South Island and parts of the North Island.

Severe weather forecast to bring 10-metre waves to the West Coast has some concerned their properties may be at risk after a chunk of the beach nearby was already eroded this week.

Cobden resident Phillip Harris said he has noticed up to 10m of the beach had eroded in front of his Domett Esplanade home over the last two days.

'There's definitely trees being washed away. In the last two days it's probably eaten 5 to 10m of beach away and … there was 25 to 30-year-old trees being floated out to sea.

'It's got to come across a residential street before it comes to our property … but it's definitely concerning,' he said.

* Severe gale risk for south, Canterbury high country; heavy rain in west

* Heavy rain and strong wind warnings as cold front moves north**

Another cold southerly front is expected to make its way up the South Island over the weekend bringing with it severe gales, heavy rain and snow down to sea level for some southern regions.

MetService meteorologist Larissa Marintchento said the front would affect Southland, Westland and Central Otago during most of Saturday morning.

It would bring severe gales, which could reach up to 120kmh, as well as heavy rain showers, thunderstorms and hail. Snow was possible down to sea level in some parts of Southland, Fiordland and Central Otago.

The front was expected to make its way to Canterbury, Nelson and Marlborough late on Saturday afternoon but was only expected to bring cloudy and wet conditions, Marintchento said.

The West Coast would be particularly affected by strong southwesterly winds and rain as the front made it way up the South Island. The severe weather in the region was expected to ease early on Saturday morning but was expected to pick up again later and continue through until Monday.

Emergency services had not been called out to any weather related incidents as of 8pm on Friday.

Friday's severe weather had local leaders worried another historic landfill could be exposed.

Buller mayor Garry Howard said the district council and the West Coast Regional Council were concerned about an 'imminent environmental disaster' at Hector, just north of Westport.

Hundreds of volunteers, New Zealand Defence Force staff and the Department of Conservation are still cleaning up the Fox River area, in Westland, after a storm in March exposed an old landfill there.

Howard said the Hector landfill was a former state coal mine dump, which had been exposed by the sea during ex-Cyclone Fehi in 2018.

He had appealed to the Government for funding to remove the landfill, but was unsuccessful.

'It contains a considerable quantity of toxic ex-industrial state coal waste. Given swell conditions over the next 48 hours we may well have an environmental disaster to deal with. If its not over the weekend it will happen,' he said.

The council applied for $660,000 from the Ministry for the Environment's Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund, but was refused. It was also told it did not meet the criteria for funds to clean up former Solid Energy mining sites.

Ratepayers had funded several sacrificial bunds, which had all been eroded and were not sustainable even in the short-term, Howard said.

'Being an ex state coal mining landfill, it is not the responsibility of Buller District Council ratepayers to fund remediation.'

Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage advised the council in the letter to 'engage' with the ministry on its National Climate Change Risk Assessment to ensure erosion of coastal landfills was recognised as a national issue.

Sage told Stuff the ministry estimated there was more than 100 landfills at risk of sea level rise and natural hazards.

'We can't solve the issue landfill by landfill. We need to deal with it across New Zealand.'

Huge waves crash over Rocks Rd in Nelson during high tide coupled with gale force winds.

Civil Defence urged West Coasters to stay away from the coast as the next pulse of stormy winter weather and king tides brought waves up to 10 metres or more across the western South Island.

Some other parts of the country were forecast to get heavy snow and rain and severe gales.

Potentially hazardous coastal conditions were expected from Friday through to Tuesday, Civil Defence West Coast said on its Facebook page. Wave heights were forecast to get to 6m on Friday afternoon and 8.5m by Friday evening.

A Christchurch Transport Operations Centre (CTOC) spokesman said two highways could be 'vulnerable' to the swells: State Highway 6 (Bruce Bay to Fox River) and SH76 north of Westport.

These areas were being assessed by contractors.

GALES EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF NZ

MetService had strong wind warnings in place for Otago, Fiordland, and Southland for most of Friday, with winds as strong as 120kmh expected, while Dunedin was forecast to get 100kmh winds.

'Almost the entire South Island will be affected by these southerly gales,' MetService meteorologist Andrew James said.

In Auckland, the winds could get to gale strength, with westerly gusts up to 80kmh predicted by Friday evening. Rain was expected in the city during the afternoon and evening, and the temperature was expected to get to 15 degrees Celsius.

In Christchurch gusts could get to 100kmh, with rain developing in the afternoon. Wellington was expected to avoid the gales but will still have brisk northwesterlies.

MetService was also watching for potential strong winds in Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, Nelson and Marlborough.

Snow near Klondyke corner, on State Highway 73 in the Arthur's Pass, earlier this week.

The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone ski areas were closed on Friday due to the forecast gales and snow showers.

Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles, MetService said.

Wave heights could get to 7m near the coast in Taranaki by early Saturday, and further north soon after. Conditions are expected to be easing by Saturday evening.

SNOW ON ALPINE PASSES

Heavy rain could also be on the cards for Southland from 11am Friday onwards, and parts of Central Otago and Fiordland could see snow as low as 500m, with heavy rain below the snow line.

SH94 was closed just before 3.30pm between Te Anau and Milford Sound because of heavy snow and falling trees. It was expected to remain closed until Saturday morning.

The Lewis Pass (SH7) was closed between the Hanmer turnoff and Springs Junction because of snow at 4.20pm. An update was expected at 8pm.

Between 3pm and 11pm, up to 8cm of snow could settle on the Lindis Pass (SH8) above 700m. Snow was also expected on the Crown Range Rd, between Queenstown and Wanaka, and SH73 (Arthur's Pass).

In the North Island, up to 8cm was possible near the summit of the Desert Rd (SH1) from mid-afternoon Friday through to mid-morning Saturday.

MetService said it could get especially cold over the country on Sunday and Monday, when snow could fall to sea level in Southland and Clutha.