Red rain warnings affecting parts of the North Island have been lifted, while local states of emergency remain in place in five regions due to the severe weather.
This was the 20th Red Warning Event issued by MetService since the highest alert level was introduced back in May 2019. Whitianga and Tauranga experienced their wettest days on record yesterday, with 247.6 mm and 274 mm of rain, respectively.
The SMC asked experts to comment.
James Renwick, Professor of Climate Science, Victoria University of Wellington, comments:
“It seems that these days, every storm brings with it orange or red flood warnings and devastation and misery somewhere in the country. Sadly, this is exactly what we expect with a warmer climate that has more moisture in the air. We have that much more flooding ‘fuel’ in the atmosphere that significant floods come much more readily now.
“To stop such events becoming worse, to stop them overwhelming our abilities to adapt, we must stop adding carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the air. Our government and business leaders must find ways to decarbonise our economy as soon as physically possible – and help other countries do the same.”
Conflict of interest statement: “I have received, over many years, funding from the New Zealand Government for climate change research, through MBIE grants and the Marsden Fund.”
Dr Lucy Telfar Barnard, Senior Research Fellow, He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme, comments:
“It’s important tenants know that if their home is flooded to the point it is uninhabitable, they can give their landlord 2 days’ notice – but also, the landlord can give them 7 days’ notice.
“Also, it’s important in built-up areas or near housing or ablution facilities that people treat flood waters as potentially contaminated with sewage. Stay out of the floodwater if you can, and make sure to wear gloves – and potentially masks – when cleaning up afterwards, indoors or out. It’s also important to clean and dry the property as soon as you can after the flooding has passed, to reduce the likelihood of mould growth”.
Conflict of interest statement: “None.”
Dr Lauren Vinnell, Senior Lecturer of Emergency Management, Joint Centre for Disaster Research, Massey University, comments:
“Firstly, my thoughts are with those impacted by the recent severe weather, including those affected by the landslide in Mount Maunganui. This awful event shows the importance of continued work into understanding and preparing for landslides. Landslides are common across New Zealand but can happen quickly and cause considerable damage. Sometimes there are warning signs, like small rocks falling, cracks or bulges in the ground, or doors or windows becoming hard to close or open because the frames have moved. Keep an eye out for these, especially during rain and after earthquakes, and if you feel unsafe then take action.”
Conflict of interest statement: “I am part-funded by the Hōretireti Whenua Sliding Lands Endeavour programme”
Dr Jen Purdie, Senior Research Fellow – Climate & Energy, University of Otago, comments:
“Warm air can carry significantly more moisture than cool air, so as temperatures increase as a result of human-induced climate change, we can expect much heavier rainfall and more flooding, and we are seeing this happen already. It is vitally important that we keep working to do our fair share to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. New Zealand per person emissions are in the top 10% of countries globally, and much higher than many of our trading partners, including Europe, China, or India.
“The cost of reducing emissions is far smaller than the cost of trying to adapt to the disasters (floods, sea level rise, damaging winds, extreme heat, wild fires) that we see already happening, and that are only going to get worse in future. But if tipping points are reached (collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet or switching off of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current), we may see changes so vast that we, as a species, cannot survive.
“Significant effort was expended in 2019 by the Labour/Greens government (and James Shaw, Climate Change Minister) to get bipartisan support from the National party for the Zero Carbon Act, so that it would not be tampered with and weakened by subsequent governments, which creates significant uncertainty for businesses. But that is exactly what has happened just a few years later, with the current government significantly weakening our climate policy.
“We must contribute our fair share of emissions reductions, and keep on track for our Paris Agreement goals, which we are currently failing to do.”
Conflict of interest statement: “No conflict of interest.”