The storm of the end of fall tired New Zealand

The bad weather beat the east coast of New Zealand at the end of April and early May, bringing damaging winds and heavy rains to the lower areas and snowfall from the end of autumn to the mountains. A state of emergency has been declared for certain parts of the South Island, including its largest city, Christchurch, after a low pressure system caused floods, landslides, power outages and travel disruptions, according to reports.

The image above (right) shows the central part of the southern island of New Zealand on May 5, several days after the storm. Higher altitudes are covered in the snow, and coastal waters are lit by suspended sediments, probably from a combination of river discharge and materials aroused from the seabed. In comparison, the mountains are mainly without snow and coastal waters are clearer in an image of March 6 (left). The two were acquired with the Modis (moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer) on the NASA Terra of NASA satellite.

The ground stations recorded 52.4 millimeters (2.1 inch) of precipitation in Christchurch on April 30, followed by 62.4 millimeters (2.5 inches) on May 1, according to the Metservice de New Zealand. The two days exceeded the monthly monthly total total for their respective months, and even higher totals were reported elsewhere in the region. Some residents of Christchurch have evacuated while the rivers rose and the water was flooded, the submerged houses and the landslides triggered, The New Zealand Herald reported.

The snowfall was important in certain mountainous regions. The Mont Hutt ski area west of Christchurch saw accumulations estimated up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) of the storm. More than 10 centimeters (4 inches) fell along the shore of Lake Tekapo, depending on the reports, and the ski areas to the south received a sprinkling.

Strong winds in the south have amplified the effects of the storm on northern island, with speeds exceeding 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour in Wellington. The gusts of wind rowed from houses, caused power outages and led to cancel flights inside and outside the city on May 1. Meteorologists warned against coastal floods at high tide due to strong swelling.

Images of the NASA land observatory by Wanmei Liang, using Modis data from NASA Eosdis Lance and Gibs / World View. History of Lindsey Doermann.