The need for trees in increasingly hot New Zealand cities
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RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Live weather: Evacuations as new barrage of rain arrives, warnings, watches around country
Follow all the latest news and developments with RNZ's live blog: More wild weather is forecast for the Nelson-Tasman region in areas hit by serious flooding last week. Civil Defence has warned people whose properties flooded last week to prepare for potentially being inundated again. By Wednesday night, six homes in the Brooklyn area, bordering the Motueka River, had been evacuated with some staying with friends and family and accommodation provided to others. Plans were under way for a worst case scenario, with orange heavy rain warnings in place from early Thursday morning. People affected by flooding last week were told they should make plans to stay elsewhere, as officials considered whether to order evacuations. Nelson Tasman controller Alec Louverdis said rivers were still running high in the already sodden region and heavy rain could present problems. "If you have been affected, the only advice I can give you is that it's likely you will be hit the same," he said. The region is bracing for more heavy rain starting in the early hours of Thursday, with two MetService heavy rain warnings in place. There is an orange rain warning for the Tasman District north-west of Motueka beginning at 3am on Thursday, which forecasts 120mm to 150mm of rain, but heavier falls of up to 200mm were possible in localised areas. The warning for the rest of the Nelson-Tasman District south-east of Motueka, and Marlborough north of the Wairau River, expected 80 to 110mm of rain about the Sounds and ranges, and 50 to 80mm elsewhere between 6am and 9pm Thursday. Civil Defence will be keeping a close on eye on hotspots such as the Motupiko and Brooklands rivers, and townships including Tapawera and Riwaka, but everywhere that flooded last week was potentially at risk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Heatwave across Europe leaves 8 dead as early summer temperatures hit records
France registered its second-warmest June since records began in 1900, said the country's ministry for ecological transition. Photo: AFP / Dimitar Dilkoff Four people died in Spain, two in France and two in Italy as an early summer heatwave continues to grip much of Europe, triggering health alerts and forest fires and forcing the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant. Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two people a day earlier, and authorities reported heatwave-linked deaths also in Extremadura and Cordoba. France's energy minister reported two deaths linked to the heat, with 300 others taken to hospital. Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities, while in Germany temperatures were forecast to peak at 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, making it the hottest day of the year. Two men over the age of 60 died in separate incidents on the beach in Sardinia from the heat, ANSA news agency reported. Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alerts remained for several areas of central France. The risks were greatest for vulnerable members of the population, and Catherine Vautrin, France's health and families minister, said authorities should remain vigilant. "In the coming days, we'll see the consequences, particularly on the most vulnerable, and I'm thinking particularly of the elderly," she said. Turkey, which battled blazes on several fronts forcing the temporary evacuation of about 50,000 people earlier in the week, said its fires were largely contained. Tuesday's fire in the Catalonia region of Spain destroyed several farms and affected an area stretching about 40km (25 miles) before being contained, officials said. Italy, France and Germany warned of the risk of heavy storms due to excessive warming in unstable atmospheres. Violent storms in the French Alps late on Monday triggered mudslides, disrupting rail traffic between Paris and Milan. Swiss utility Axpo shut down one reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved output at another on Tuesday because of the high temperature of river water. Water is used for cooling and other purposes at nuclear power plants, and restrictions were expected to continue as temperatures are monitored. The extreme heat would likely impact the region's economic growth, which was expected to slow by half a percentage point in 2025, Allianz Research said in a report, likening the financial toll of one day with temperatures exceeding 32 C to half a day of strikes. Scientists say heatwaves have arrived earlier this year, spiking temperatures by up to 10 C (50 F) in some regions as warming seas encouraged the formation of a heat dome over much of Europe, trapping hot air masses. Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are a cause of climate change, they say, with deforestation and industrial practices being other contributing factors. Last year was the planet's hottest on record. "Extreme heat is testing our resilience and putting the health and lives of millions at risk," said Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. "Our new climate reality means we can no longer be surprised when temperatures reach record highs each year." Allianz Research's warning of a dent in economic activity due to the heat rang true for some businesses. British baker Greggs warned on Wednesday its annual profit could dip below last year's levels as the unusually hot UK temperatures discourage customers from eating out. In Germany, people flocked to open air swimming pools and lakes to cool off, with many schools across the country closed. The fire brigade was tackling several forest fires in the eastern states of Brandenburg and Saxony. The upper floor of the Eiffel Tower in Paris was shut to visitors on Tuesday, while the iconic Atomium in Brussels, an atom-like structure made of stainless steel, closed early on Wednesday as a precaution, its third early closure this week. Spain experienced its hottest June on record this year, and France had its hottest June since 2003. - Reuters
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Weary Tasman residents brace for fresh barrage of rain
Flooding along the Motueka River last week. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee Exhausted residents in the waterlogged Tasman district are on edge as [ they brace for another lashing of heavy rain]. As residents faced a lengthy cleanup, they are now staring down the barrel of another threatening barrage of downpours. An orange rain warning in place for the Tasman District north-west of Motueka began at 3am on Thursday. It forecasts 120 to 150mm of rain, but heavier falls of up to 200mm are possible in localised areas. The warning for the rest of the Nelson-Tasman District south-east of Motueka, and Marlborough north of the Wairau River, expected 80 to 110mm of rain about the Sounds and ranges, and 50 to 80mm elsewhere between 6am and 9pm on Thursday. Fire and Emergency has also deployed several specialist teams to the region, including two specialist water rescue teams and and urban search and rescue unit. Meanwhile, mobile phone companies say all cell services have been restored in the Tasman District . In Tasman, people from the hard hit area of Tapawera gathered in the rugby clubrooms on Wednesday afternoon to hear the latest from Civil Defence officials. It was the second of two community meetings held in the day following an earlier debrief in Wakefield. Nelson Tasman controller Alec Louverdis said rivers were still running high in the already sodden region and heavy rain could present problems. "If you have been affected, the only advice I can give you is that it's likely you will be hit the same," he said. "I'm sorry I'm giving you that bad news, but you may need to self-evacuate and that's probably a prudent approach." Civil Defence warned there was no room for complacency given the existing situation. "This event on its own would probably not be that significant," Louverdis said. "But with the weather we've experienced to date, we need to take a precautionary approach and we're doing that." By Wednesday night, six homes in the Brooklyn area had been evacuated with some staying with friends and family whilst accommodation was provided to others. Farmers already facing a mammoth clean up of destroyed pastures and fencing were on high alert. Wangapeka farmer and Federated Farmers Nelson president Kerry Irvine told RNZ people were nervous about what was to come. "There's definitely some anxiety around. And we get that," he said. "People are pretty concerned about what's coming but you plan for the worst and hope for the best." That apprehension was shared further east around Pigeon Valley, near Wakefield. Louise is the wife of a volunteer firefighter who had worked long hours during last week's weather event. Although their property came through unscathed, she admitted she was uneasy about the next 24 hours. "He was out for 11 hours (on Friday) and even all of [McGazzaland park] was nearly right under," Louise said. "It was quite scary to see that footage from him when he sent it back up home. Hopefully not again this week." Motupiko farmer Julian Raine lost large sections of cropping land to the flood and said some of the damage could have been mitigated. He said the Tasman District Council should be doing more to bolster flood protection for the Motueka River "Very frustrating as a landowner," he said. "TDC [Tasman District council] effectively wasting ratepayers' money by doing a job half-arsed when they should be getting alongside the [New Zealand Transport Agency] and fixing it together." With more bad weather bearing down, he hoped he and other locals were not set for a repeat. "I suppose I'm always positive and I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as what's predicted," Raine said. "But we've got to be cautious and take all actions to protect ourselves, just in case they're right."
