Upper Hawkes Bay Cyclone Pam Blog - Sunday 15th March 2015

[JennyLeez]

TC Pam has now moved into the Wellingon Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre area of responsibility, so future cyclone tracks will be issued by MetService. The system is expected to bring heavy rain, severe gales and high seas to parts of the North Island.

Members please keep us up to date with TC Pam's progress whether you are in her path or not.
Any info from the different news sources will be welcomed
Thanks

• Tweet

[JennyLeez]

Cyclone Pam is currently 800km north of Cape Reinga.

[itaranak18]

Don't quite know what to make of this.

Ken Ring ‏@kenringweather 2m2 minutes ago

Gisborne likely to receive only moderate winds and less than 20mm rain next few days. But perigee event in a week's time may be much worse.

[Rwood]

Ignore.

[JennyLeez]

UPDATED 10:32am NZT -- Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam continues to head towards New Zealand as a major storm but has weakened a small amount this morning already. It has slipped one category, now Category 4 - but still leaves it as a severe tropical storm.

Latest wind maps used and trusted by WeatherWatch.co.nz are painting a worrying picture overnight tonight for the northeastern tip of the North Island - especially the East Cape region, including eastern Bay of Plenty and inland Bay of Plenty towards Taupo. 
The severe gales (or hurricane force winds) that are wrapped around the eye of this cyclone are looking increasingly likely to push into this part of New Zealand.

More from weatherwatch:

http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/cyclone-pam-likely-bring-damaging-winds-heavy-rain-some-parts-nz-5-maps

[JennyLeez]

Cyclone Pam 12.20pm 16th March 2015

As Cyclone Pam heads around East Cape and down the upper East Coast, Gisborne and Mahia Beach are tying themselves down.

Rainfall over night was minimal across our ground level Weather Stations but has increased this morning.
Current totals since midnight are as follows:

Gisborne 36.3
Nuhaka 56.7
Mahia Beach 47.1
Wairoa 27.3
Mohaka 45.3

Highest Gust:

Mahia Beach: 56.2
Nuhaka: 49.0
Gisborne: 39.2

The worst is still to come.

Our local Upper Hawkes Bay Data Summary can be found here and is being updated every 5 to 10 minutes.

http://nzpws.net/weather_data.htm

Cheers

[JennyLeez]

* More than 100 people have been evacuated from their homes on the East Cape as Cyclone Pam brings rain, high winds and large swells.

* The worst of Cyclone Pam is expected to be past the East Coast about 4pm.

* Six roads on the East Coast are closed due to falling trees, flooding and downed power lines.

* Power has been lost in several communities in the east.

Current Rainfall totals since midnight across Upper Hawkes Bay.

Gisborne 42.6
Nuhaka 60.9
Mahia Beach 60.3
Wairoa 43.5
Mohaka 67.5

Highest Gust:

Mahia Beach: 56.2
Nuhaka: 49.0
Wairoa: 51.5
Frasertown: 42.8
Gisborne: 39.2

So nothing but a typical wet winter's Day for us so far.

[JennyLeez]

17th March 2015 - 1.00am

Tis still fairly windy in the wee hours but the rain has buttoned off.

Final Rainfall totals for what will become know as Cyclone Pam 2015 (16th March) are as follows for the Upper Hawkes Bay region.

Gisborne 52.5
Nuhaka 85.7
Mahia Beach 82.5
Wairoa 55.8
Mohaka 99.6
Frasertown 33.6

The highest Pam Gust was recorded by Wairoa West of 61.1km/hr
The highest Wind Run was recorded by Nuhaka with 466.8

[PaulMy]

Good to hear that most folks are ok.  Some of the devastation of C-Paw were show on local TV news and can't but feel for everyone affected.  That's 2 to 4" of rain, wow!

Paul

[JennyLeez]

Tuesday the 17th of March.

Still very windy and coupled with lower temps and drizzle on and off, it is not wonderful weather.

Poto sent in some photo from Mahia plus his report:

'Despite many warnings above was a bit of a non event at Mahia.
Except for the large easterly swells  that would probably be round 4 metre,  round 80mm rain over the period and wind speeds at not much more than 50kmph from the SE, there was not a lot to get excited about.
Sure there is likely to be damage from erosion on the northern side of the peninsula, particularly along Mahanga beach.
On our side you could have water skied close in for most of the day.

I note this morning the sea is moderate but a 3m southerly swell is to develop which is reasonably common on this side but mainly offshore as Kinikini point and the headlands up to Mahia Beach tend to push southerly swells further offshore.'

Thanks Bill