New Zealand weather chaos

New Zealand weather chaos: 600mm (23 inches) rain in 2 days

Snow falls have added an unseasonal chill to the wild and wet weather that has stranded holidaymakers and knocked out key services.

Stuff,

3 January, 2013

Snow has joined the wild and wet weather chaos in many parts of New Zealand, particularly the South Island, with holidaymakers stranded and key services knocked out.

Several days of heavy rain compounded yesterday, with the West Coast and Fiordland bearing the brunt of the storm.

In Central Otago this morning, an operation is underway to get people out of the Lindis Pass after a heavy snowfall.

Several cars had to be abandoned in the area and a police communications spokesman said the snow meant it was slow going on State Highway 8.

Snow had fallen to relatively low levels in parts of South Canterbury with hills surrounding Timaru receiving a coating.

Overnight, Westport received more than 76 millimetres of rain at the airport although in urban areas that was expected to be a lot more.

MetService duty forecaster Philippa Murdoch said there was an ''easing trend'' to the bad weather now, and apart from a few showers in the Westport region this afternoon, the rain was expected to clear by early tomorrow.

Queenstown had the lowest temperature this morning, with 6.5 degrees Celsius but that was expected to increase to a high of 14C.

Temperatures in most other places were not particularly cold, with the likes of Westport and Greymouth reaching highs of 18C and 16C.

Rising river levels meanwhile claimed the Wanganui River bridge near Harihari yesterday, with flooding washing out one end of the bridge and forcing the closure of State Highway 6, the main road along the West Coast.

The washout severed a key fibre-optic cable, cutting most methods of communication between about 1000 Westland homes and the rest of the country.

Motorists heading north were forced take lengthy detours - of up to 400 kilometres to reach Christchurch via Wanaka.

The washed-out bridge, which linked the West Coast main highway to the Haast Pass, will be out of action for at least two days.

New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) spokesman Ewart Barnsley said contractors were working to divert the river back to its original course by shifting boulders.

A structural engineer was also on site to inspect the 180-metre single-lane bridge.

''We need to know what damage, if any, has been done to that structure,'' Barnsley said.

The agency was also preparing to bring in a temporary bridge, known as a Bailey bridge, from Christchurch to get the road reopened quickly.

''We'll get it open as quickly as we can and only when we have assurance that it's safe,'' he said.

Snap chief executive Mark Petrie said the severed fibre-optic cable prevented residents from making emergency 111 calls, although a technician with a satellite phone was monitoring the phone exchange to ensure emergency calls were put through.

Telecom spokeswoman Kate Woodruffe said cell towers at Fox Glacier, Franz Josef and Mt Hercules had been damaged by the storm.

With access to the towns blocked, technicians would have to wait until it was safe to be helicoptered in to assess and repair the damage.

A slip last night blocked State Highway 6 between Inangahua and Westport in the lower Buller Gorge, but those trapped had since been rescued. Flooding also closed sections of State Highway 73 from Cass through Arthur's Pass to Otira, which remained closed this morning.

Flooding has also closed State highway 7 at the turn-off from Hanmer Springs to Springs Junction. SH69 from Inangahua to Reefton, the Buller Gorge and SH67 from Fairydown to Mussel Point were also shut off this morning.

Fire crews in Harihari and Whataroa had also checked on residents in the two West Coast towns, while the Fire Service had attended about five calls in Hokitika for flooding and helped move people's property to higher ground.

Police called for the evacuation of huts and low-lying areas around the Rakaia River, with flooding making the river ''extremely dangerous''.

Environment Canterbury South Canterbury duty flood controller Tony Henderson said both the Waitaki and Rangitata rivers had risen about 500mm during 48 hours.

The Rangitata went from an average of less than 100 cubic metres per second (cumecs) flow to 1800 cumecs in less than 18 hours.

Henderson expected the river levels to drop as the weather system moved north later today.

More than 100 trampers stranded on the Milford Track managed to resume their walks yesterday, after riding out the weather in Department of Conservation huts.

MetService duty forecaster Alistair Gorman said 440mm of rain had fallen in Milford Sound over the past two days, with parts of the West Coast recording totals of up to 500mm. The weather was expected to ease today.

West Coast weather warnings lifted

Radio NZ,

3 Janurary, 2013

MetService has lifted all weather warnings for the West Coast as heavy rain there has eased.

Thunderstorms and strong winds on Wednesday caused widespread flooding.

Forecaster Andy Downs said while there are still some showers along the coast, they would weaken throughout the day.

He said Friday is likely to be dry, except for the most southern parts of Westland and Fiordland.

Nearly 600mm of rain has fallen on the West Coast during the past two days.

The abuttment to a one-lane bridge on State Highway Six, just north of Harihari, was washed away on Wednesday.

NZTA West Coast area manager Mark Pinner told Summer Report the road can be rebuilt, but engineers still have to check if the bridge pylons were undermined.

He said that at best it will open on Friday, but this may take longer if the bridge's foundation have been damaged.