Kia Ora
Had heavy light snow last Monday around Christchurch, which did not stop much. However it caused substantial damage further south with more than 50,000 people without power at one stage. Snow piled up in drifts more than half a metre deep and nearly a metre along fence lines. It cut road and telecommunications, which some people have gone for nearly a week without now. Most properties have power back on, which is just as well because a second polar blast is coming ashore and will bring snow down to 300 metres (where it was forecast to fall last time). The army and airforce were deployed earlier this week to ferry in supplies and check up on those places that linesmen had not been able to reconnect.
But...
It is turning into a race against time in Canterbury with 4000 people
still without power after last Mondays snow, and another barrage of
snow and hail laden southerlies coming ashore tonight and tomorrow.
Many are also still without communications after six days as the snow
damaged the phone lines and numerous cellphone towers around the
province. Time is the biggest ally and the biggest foe - more time
gives the farmers and lines crews more of an opportunity to get things
back in running order. Given that this low pressure system has an
element of unpredictability about it, time is also the biggest foe as
increases the time the low pressure system that is driving the bad
weather, to strengthen.
Many farmers were caught out on Monday as the low pressure system
deepened after 2100 hours the previous day when it had been dark for 3
1/2 hours and too late for many farmers to realistically take action.
By the time dawn came on Monday morning many were under nearly 2ft of
snow, with drifts piled 3ft on fence lines. Originally many thousands
were without power, though through bringing in extra crews from the
North Island and working the other crews 16 hour days many were
restored by the time of writing this. The army and airforce are also
flying in supplies and checking up on rural communities still hampered
by heavy snowfall. However, the snow is still more than a foot deep in
many places and, with another 15cm or more being forecast at this
stage, Monday June 12 looks like being repeated on June 19.
Real welfare issues will exist if this expected southerly blast is all that it is thought to be.
Rob