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March 15, 2017 March 2017, Regular Features No Comments

Summer has been and gone and one could be forgiven for feeling that is has been a bit of a fizzer weather wise. The cooler, blustery conditions may have been appreciated by those growing grass but this unusual summer has certainly wreaked havoc on many events.

Wairarapa is supposed to be synonymous with long hot, dry summers but is it really like that? We humans have fairly short memories and it is easy to be fooled into thinking that this summer is an anomaly, maybe even caused by climate change.
A check back of old records however throws up any number of unseasonal summer conditions or weather events as they are now referred to.

On January 18 1858 “Wairarapa and Wellington were left reeling following two days of heavy northwesterly rain over southern North Island. It was reported that 17 people died in Wellington as a result of the floods as the Hutt River carried buildings and houses away. Crops, stock, fences and buildings were also lost to floods as rivers in both districts rose to heights to “a greater extent than has before been known.”

December 18 1924 “A steady downpour for two days resulted in the worst floods in Wairarapa for many years. At Featherston a 46 hour rainfall of 7.5 inches was recorded. A considerable number of fowls drowned as low lying areas flooded. Streets were soon underwater and floodwaters invaded houses.”

February 17 1925 “A severe gale swept Wairarapa early in the morning. Large trees were uprooted, old sheds and fences razed to the ground and crops flattened. The force of the wind may be gauged from the fact that the index fingers of the Greytown Town clock were unable to keep up with the time and lost fifteen minutes in an hour.”

Thirteen years ago in 2004 we were lashed by a severe southerly storm on 15 and 16 February resulting in heavy flooding and a great deal of damage.

The big difference today is not actually the weather but the fact that we have much more sophisticated and accurate forecasting. This means we can at least be better prepared even if we can’t do anything about the storm. Oops sorry, weather event.

Adrienne Staples

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