By MetService Meteorologist Claire Flynn
Please note: all times listed below are in New Zealand local time.
As of 1pm today, TC Gita was a Category 3 Tropical Cyclone, with estimated wind speeds of 117 km/hr near the centre, and a central pressure of 970 hPa. It was located over the waters south of New Caledonia at 24.5S, 166.6E, as shown in the latest forecast track map issued by RSMC Nadi in the map below:
Tropical Cyclone Gita Update - Issued 16th February 2018
By MetService Meteorologists Lisa Murray and Chris Noble.
Please note: all times listed below are New Zealand local time
At 1pm today, TC Gita was a Category 3 Cyclone (having further weakened since yesterday) with estimated winds of 80kt (~150km/h) and a central pressure of 956hPa, located over waters 300km south of Aneityum, Vanuatu, and moving west.
Tropical Cyclone Gita Update 15th February 2018
By MetService Senior Meteorologist Lisa Murray
Please note: all times listed below are New Zealand local time
At 3pm today, TC Gita was a Category 4 Cyclone (having weakened since yesterday and overnight) with estimated winds of 167km/hr and a central pressure of 950hPa, located over waters about SW of Kadavu, Fiji, (21.5S 175.2E) and moving west at about 15km/hr.
Tropical Cyclone Gita
By MetService Senior Meteorologist, Lisa Murray, 14 February 2018
Please note: all times listed below are New Zealand local time
History
Tropical Cyclone Gita (TC Gita) was named by RSMC Nadi at 5pm on Friday 9th February, located to the west of American Samoa and initially a Category 1 tropical cyclone. Since then, TC Gita has tracked to the south of American Samoa before curving to pass near Niue and then westward directly over Nuku’alofa (southern Tonga), as a Category 4 tropical cyclone.
By MetService Meteorologist Claire Flynn
MetService Barbeque Index
By Communication Meteorologist, Lisa Murray
Many of you have told us that you enjoy our Barbeque Index, which we use on our social media posts (on Facebook as MetService New Zealand and on Twitter as @MetService).
BBQ Index for Tuesday evening 9th January 2018 at 6pm
A guest blog from the Health Promotion Agency.
by Metservice Meteorologist Claire Flynn
You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘heat wave’ bandied about in the news, and perhaps wondered what exactly it means. Does one hot day constitute a heat wave? And how hot is hot? Does New Zealand really get that many heat waves? If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about these things, then look no further!
By Meteorologist Tom Adams
Hanging washing on the line may not be the most life-dependant use of MetService forecasts when compared to farming, electricity generation or adventuring into the mountains. However, significantly more of us do it, and the environmental, economic and health benefits add up. Clothes line and weather forecast users have every right to be proud of their skill and bravery in drying clothes outside in New Zealand’s changeable weather.
by Georgina Griffiths, Senior Meteorologist
To mark Safer Boating Week, we thought we'd dive in and help boaties work out what sea conditions to expect when they see both sea state and swell mentioned in our coastal and recreational marine forecasts. To get you in the mood, let's talk about various states of discomfort that can be found on a boat.