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To be honest most of us have done this when it comes to emergency prep - Saying: "Today its OK, I'll do some Emergency/Survival prep tomorrow or in the weekend" There's no rush The chances are pretty low. If you were to be confronted with a survival situation right now, how ready are you? Without prep you'll be saying What do I need? Where is that _____ I need right now? What route do I go to escape? I wish I had charged my devices You'll be forced to make multiple decisions in a very short time. Your adrenaline will be through the roof, the kids will be panicking, you will not be mentally effective for the first few minutes Take the time and start making a plan now, even if it's just things to consider - like food reserves, useful items, who to contact, at least make a start. Companies like Next 72 Hours and Crisis Bunker can be a great help. Don't forget Lert Info. We keep you far more informed than just Civil Defence announcements.
0 Thunderstorms could cause issues around Auckland and Northland
The centre of a low will move over Auckland city/region on Thursday night/early Friday, followed by a windy sou’wester from Friday and through the long weekend. Stay ahead of others with alerts from Lert Info Each day has different risks, but generally speaking, this is a MODERATE risk event for the Vector power network - but should be in POCKETS . The main risk is from heavy downpours/thunderstorms, mostly on Thursday PM. Windy Sou-wester come in on Friday and may cause issues also. Wednesday - LOW RISK Rain develops later in the day with some heavy falls possible. Isolated thunderstorm risks will develop later in the day and overnight. Thursday - MODERATE RISK Heavy downpours, possibly slow-moving with thunderstorms (maybe severe thunderstorms) are expected over the upper North Island as the centre of the low moves in with colder air. The main risk appears to be from noon Thursday to Midnight Thursday. It’s possible, the the highest intensity will be over Northland and out at sea from Auckland - but Auckland is enough inside the risk zone to be exposed. There is a high risk for thunderstorms forming Thursday in the upper North Island, but for now a MODERATE risk applies to the Vector power network due to uncertainty about precise placement of these downpours (which often can’t be locked in until they are forming/moving in on the day). Friday - LOW-MODERATE RISK Strong SW winds kick in, possibly squally/gusty, with western/exposed areas potentially having winds over 100km/h for a time. Windy sou’westers continue for the long weekend but gradually ease back from Friday’s peak. Source : Weatherwatch
0 Slips and other issues expected for Christchurch District
May 1, 2025 6:40 PM RNZ Live Christchurch mayor warns of potential slips on Banks Peninsula amid ongoing deluge The mayor of Christchurch says parts of Banks Peninsula might start slipping overnight as heavy rain continues to fall. States of emergency have been declared in Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, and the Selwyn District with road closures, widespread flooding and slips impacting the region. In the past 48 hours, more than 200 mm of rain has fallen in Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told Checkpoint that they declared a state of emergency as a precaution to keep people informed and to assist emergency services if they needed to protect people overnight. "To have the state of emergency so people can go in there in the middle of the night if they have to evacuate someone if they have a medical emergency or something goes terribly wrong, they've got the power to do that," he said. The rain had been very consistent for a long time, but they were anticipating it should start to back off later on Thursday night, Mauger said. He was concerned about a few cracks in the road on the Banks Peninsula that could turn into slips. "There's a crack that's 50 millimetres wide and 100 metres long so if water goes down there, which it will be, there's only one thing going to happen. But it's not if, it's when so better be safe than sorry," Mauger was also keeping an eye on high tide which would hit on Thursday night. "That will come in and sort of put back pressure on and that's the bit that's going to be some grief." At the top of the Heathcote River were massive retention ponds that held more than a million cubic metres of water. They were shut off but full and he acknowledged they could cause some grief with more rain falling. The plan was to start to release them on the outgoing tide on Friday, he said. He encouraged people who were considering evacuating to call the civil defence and emergency line so they could send people around to help them. Become a member of the Lert community to get free alerts and relevant news posts. Faster and more targetted than Facebook. Join here Updated May 1, 2025 6:50 PM
0 New Expressway Prefered Over the Bynderwyns
This morning, preferred routes for two sections of the Northland Expressway were announced, with Transport Minister Chris Bishop urging patience as the project will unfold over years. The first phase, a 26km stretch from Warkworth to Te Hana, will bypass Wellsford’s summer traffic jams, running east of the current highway. Already consented, procurement is underway, with construction set to begin next year and completion targeted for 2032. Italian firm Webuild has confirmed its bid to build and operate this section as a public-private partnership. A toll is “almost certain” for this segment, Bishop noted. The next phase, crossing the Brynderwyns, will follow, with the route from the Brynderwyns’ northern side to Port Marsden Highway at Ruakākā veering west of the existing road. The northernmost section, from Ruakākā to Whangārei—a crash-prone stretch—still awaits a finalized route. Another toll may apply north of the Brynderwyns, making three between Auckland and Whangārei. NZTA will engage landowners starting Thursday 24th April, with route confirmation expected by September. At the Brynderwyns lookout announcement, Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti hailed the expressway as a regional game-changer, promising economic growth and safer roads. Northland MP Grant McCallum emphasized it would address decades of under-investment, improving access to places like the Bay of Islands. Regional Transport Committee chairman Joe Carr noted the $200 million economic hit from 2023-24 Brynderwyn closures, underscoring the need for reliable roads. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones stressed urgency after Easter’s partial highway closure, saying the new expressway will withstand severe weather, ensuring better connectivity and shorter travel times. Plans for a Brynderwyns bypass, paused in 2017, were revived post-Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, when slips forced months of closures, diverting traffic to narrow back roads. Mike Hoskin interview with Transport minister Chris Bishop. Click Here Source RNZ
2 Tuesday April 15th storm update
A storm in the tropics (over southern Vanuatu) is unofficially a tropical cyclone this morning - but won’t likely be named due to it’s very short life (a bit like a surfer riding a wave for 1 second before falling off…do you count that?) Fiji Met Service indicates the chances of it being named as a tropical cyclone today as “low to moderate”. The storm’s current status doesn’t matter much though - as it will be morphing into a much larger centre as it moves into NZ from Wed to Sun - and as we said yesterday it runs into powerful high pressure (that high may grow so large east of NZ it makes for even windier and wetter weather in some parts of NZ). LATEST AUCKLAND DETAILS Little has changed in previous days. TUESDAY: We expect ESE winds to build today - becoming brisk in exposed places later but not problematic for most. High cloud thickens. (ESE winds are fairly sheltered in Auckland thanks to the Coromandel Peninsula) WEDNESDAY: Winds shift from ESE to Easterly (stronger direction for Auckland) and winds then also intensify with some rain developing. GALES LIKELY LATELY. THURSDAY: ENE winds strengthen and may be SUSTAINED at gale force (or near it) for a time with gusts anywhere from 90 to 120km/h in the city and region (SEVERE GALE). RAIN HEAVY at times with localised flood/slip risks. FRIDAY: Wind and rain gradually eases back. WEEKEND: Instability worth monitoring for rain/thunderstorms. Wind looks likely to be less of an issue. OUTAGE RISK Remains MODERATE-HIGH for weather related outages region wide - with hills and eastern coastal areas most exposed.
The first step to make it through a storm with minimal issues is preparedness. Below are some key considerations to make it much easier. Don't forget to register for your free alerts - https://www.lert.info/ We'll have information others won't have.
0 Beware of Mainstream Media Headlines.
There are so many click bait headlines out there, we thought we'd clear the murky waters when it comes to weather headlines. Many media outlets use emotive headlines to grab your attention, which often leads to clicks on their sites that generate income for them. Some headlines cause unnecessary upset for many people. Lert Info tries to be as accurate as possible, so if something needs your attention, we word things in a cautious way. These two images are for Friday 5th and Sat 6th April 2025. They are weather models for 7days out showing expectations for a 24hr period. As you can see, one has a lot of rain for parts of the West Coast and the other model has none over the exact same 24hr period. In this situation, we initially say nothing, but check these and other model updates every day. When similarity starts to occur, we dig deeper. When our confidence is about 50% we could start to mention it. Every few hours we reassess and start sending info directly to subscribers that something might be brewing. Within three days we were sending our first alerts. It's not until about 3 or 4 days out can we start to locking in any details. The exception - With Cyclone Gabrielle however, models were alighned two weeks out, so we sent news alerts directly to potentially affected people We also posted on Facebook but only about 30% of followers would have seen it because of how FB distributes posts.
0 Lake Wanaka Water Quality drops due to Faecal matter
Recent tests detected faecal matter in Lake Wānaka, raising concerns about water quality. Population growth, tourism, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to contamination, with reports of tourists toileting in the lake. Over five years, LAWA’s water quality rating dropped from "excellent" to "good," with E. coli levels fluctuating. Authorities plan $18 million in wastewater upgrades, while groups promote riparian buffers and reduced chemical use. Though the lake remains generally safe, E. coli poses health risks. Continued monitoring, infrastructure improvements, and responsible tourism are vital to preserving Lake Wānaka’s health and recreational value. For free, direct delivery alerts and important news click here
0 Scheduled Road Work: SH 1 Blenheim to Seddon (Weld Pass)
Resurfacing Due to paving works, this section of road will be closed in both directions on Wednesday 29th January to Thursday 13th February nights between 7pm and 5am (Excluding the nights of Wednesday 5th February and Thursday 6th February). The road will reopen every night at midnight to allow queued traffic through the site. Plan your journey accordingly and avoid travel during these times. Detour route Detour via SH7 Lewis Pass Start 29 Jan 2025 7:00pm End 14 Feb 2025 5:00am Expected resolution 14 Feb 2025 5:00am Last updated 28 Jan 2025 3:34pm For Txt Road Alerts - www.road.lert.info
Friday, 24 January 2025 A boil water notice has been issued for Tapanui. This is due to treatment difficulties this morning at the plant. Arrangements have been made for a water tanker to be placed in Tapanui today. It will be placed next to PGG later this afternoon and will remain in place for the duration the notice is in place. You can fill your own clean containers with drinking water. This notice will be in place until we are satisfied that the water being received at the plant is consistently clear. This will be reviewed over the coming days. We will provide an update when we are able to do so. Anyone using water from their tap for consumption (including teeth cleaning and washing fruit and vegetables) should boil it for 1 minute before it is used. Please share this information with any family or neighbours that may not be aware. For real time free alerts - Click here
0 How Much Water You need in and Emergency Need?
If your water supply is cut off due to weather, an earthquake, or water infrastructure failure , how prepared are you? It's simple and quick to build up a supply. You'll need at least three litres of drinking water per person per day. This will be enough for drinking and basic hygiene. Extra water is needed for cooking and make sure to add drinking and clean-up water for your pets. Check out the Get ready website for more information https://getready.govt.nz/.../house.../supplies/storing-water This video is one of the most coprehensive we've seen and it's recent. Some info pertains to the States https://youtu.be/Btqqwd_cLiA and the presenter speaks of Gallons. The conversion is 3.79 Litres
Weatherwatch has adviced us there could be be possible isolated power outages due to wind from Today Friday Jan 17th to Tuesday Jan 21st GALES FRIDAY: Easterlies dominate with gusts into gale force in some exposed areas. Most at risk: North of the city in rural areas and eastern coastal areas. LOW RISK for ISOLATED outages. SATURDAY: East to ESE winds dominate with breezy to gusty weather, mainly below gale (other than marine areas). Most at risk: North of the city in eastern coastal areas. LOW RISK for ISOLATED outages. SUNDAY: Easterlies ramp up more with gusts into gale force and severe gale possible too. Most at risk: North of the city in rural areas and eastern coastal areas, but potentially further southwards over the city as the day goes on). LOW-MODERATE RISK for isolated outages. MONDAY: Easterlies likely reach their peak with severe gales in exposed places. Most at risk: From Auckland city centre northwards. MODERATE RISK for outages, especially eastern and northern areas. TUESDAY: A rain band finally moves in from the north and tracks southwards with windy to gale easterlies - winds look to ease over the day as the rain shifts southwards and winds then turn SE. This rainband may be unstable and could produce localised heavy falls and localised strong winds - but overall winds may start to ease. LOW RISK for outages across the city and region but a MODERATE RISK for severe gales around Great Barrier Island. RAIN: Heavy rain is possible over Monday and Tuesday but the jury is still out on totals. Over this week the numbers have varied between 30 and 50mm which isn’t too problematic, but adds another dimension to those peak winds. WHAT COULD BREAK THIS FORECAST? The low north of NZ is quite messy in design for now, and between that low pressure and the lazy high pressure zone south of the North Island it means both TIMING and PRECISION will shift around in the days ahead. For example, wind maps yesterday for next Tuesday showed damaging winds over Auckland… but in the global data update this morning (at 8am) the modelling shifted that more out to sea and twisted the winds more south-easterly (a much kinder direction for Auckland usually). Because of this we’ll update you each morning over the weekend as we try to “lock in” what is most likely. While there are many global models we all use, the data we have from The Weather Company crunches all that modelling into one forecast. PEAK TIMING Peak time for severe weather looks to be from Sunday PM to Tuesday AM. To get real time alerts if you're not already a subscribers - Click Here
0 Auckland Fire Restrictions Kick In
Restricted fire season in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Fire and Emergency New Zealand is moving Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland into a restricted fire season from 6am on Thursday 16 January until further notice. A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire will need a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for at checkitsalright.nz. Outdoor fires will be restricted in the Waitematā, Auckland City and Counties Manukau districts due to the high fire risk throughout Auckland at present. While there is some rain forecast next week, this isn’t going to be enough to counter the effects of the recent warm, dry weather. Right now, we consider flammable vegetation such as mānuka, kānuka and grass, and forestry areas as being particularly high risk, as these burn easily, spread fast, and can be really difficult to contain. The Hauraki Gulf Islands remain in a prohibited fire season, which means all outdoor fires are banned on the islands. If you’re thinking about starting a fire, you must go to www.checkitsalright.nz first to find out if you can, and what restrictions apply.
0 Multiple product recalls for Jan 15th 2024
Six new product recalls for period Jan 13th -Jan 15 2024 For more details click here To get alerts sent straight to you click here
Emergency services are at a fire at Tahorakuri Forest in the Taupō District. A spokesperson for Fire and Emergency NZ said multiple calls were received about the vegetation fire and seven crews were in attendance as of 1.40pm. Above pic: Heat signature from NASA Satellite Above pic showing area of fire fighting operation Above pic: Met service station appears to not be reporting. 10 min before this image there were 10kph west winds from this sensor. The fire was earlier “approximately 1.5 hectares”. Approximately 32 firefighters are in attendance currently working with two helicopters A police spokesperson said they were assisting with traffic management. There were no evacuations reported. For real time emergency alerts - click here
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