Heat alerts issued, warnings to prepare as temperatures set to soar

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Metservice has issued heat alerts for hotspots across the country as temperatures are forecast to soar on Friday. The alerts were in place for Whakatāne, Napier, Hastings, Motueka, Blenheim and Kaikōura, where temperatures in the low to mid thirties were expected. Metservice meteorologist Samkelo Magwala said alerts were issued when the forecasted temperature exceeded the normal average for two consecutive days. Magwala said alerts were issued the day before the heat was due to strike - and there would likely be more to follow on Friday and Saturday. Hastings could hit a whopping 37C over the weekend as hot air from a heatwave in Australia blankets the east coast of New Zealand. MetService is predicting that many areas will be warm on Thursday, with the weekend reaching temperatures over 30C. The hottest areas are expected to be the East Cape of the North Island, Gisborne, Wairoa and Hastings. Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said the council was working to ensure residents were prepared. "Because this can be really dangerous heat, and I don't think many people are used to it, so the big message we are trying to get out to people is make sure on those really hot days you are drinking plenty of water, taking breaks in the shade and avoiding the hottest part of the day if you can." She said the community needed to look out for each other, particularly older people, infants and toddlers who were the most susceptible to heat. Schollum said fire risk was also a major concern. Photo: RNZ/Alexa Cook "We really need everyone to be conscious, please please please be careful, no fire, we've got a complete fire restriction at the moment, if you've got fireworks stocked away, no setting those off right now. "And just also being conscious of anything else you might be doing that could potentially spark a fire, whether that's using machinery or any of those sorts of activities." Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor seconded that sentiment and said it was a risky time for spot fires. "We are really encouraging people to make sure they have an awareness, obviously of not light fires, but also an awareness if they are using lawnmowers, chainsaws anything that might spark or set off a fire." Taylor reminded people that the Wither Hills Farm Park closed when the fire risk was too high. Meanwhile, in the capital about a hundred people are were soaking up the sun at Oriental Bay. It's a warm day in Wellington with MetService picking the temperature could hit 24C in the city. Eight-year-old Eyt said she and her father James came from Stokes Valley in Lower Hutt to hit the beach. She said the weather is hot, but the water is still "freezing". FENZ warns against complacency Fire and Emergency warned people were getting complacent and ignoring safety warnings. Wildfire manager for Fire and Emergency Tim Mitchell told Morning Report incoming winds and hot temperatures would create the "perfect storm" for a fire to start and spread, particularly in the Hawke's Bay region. "Over the weekend conditions are really going to ramp up, as a result of an approaching weather system from the west a westerly flow is going to set up... under that westerly flow we are likely going to reduce humidity in those areas, it could go below that 30 percent maybe getting into the low 20's as well." Photo: Supplied/Ann Austin Mitchell said most of New Zealand's fires were caused by human related activities, so people needed to be cautious when doing anything that could create a spark. He urged people to avoid activities that could spark a wildfire, including welding, grinding, using cookers and mowing lawns. "We're asking the public to accept that there are times when we aren't able to do these things and actually follow the advice and don't do those activities during high-risk periods. "Obviously, it's the weekend, which is when people mow their lawns. But we need your flexibility around not undertaking high-risk activities." Check the checkitsalright website if you were unsure of anything, Mitchell said. Influx of beachgoers Surf Lifesaving is preparing for a swarm of beachgoers with hot weather expected across the country. Surf Lifesaving's Chris Emmet said it was expecting a busy weekend across its 90 patrolled locations around the country, with hot weather bringing big numbers of people to the beach. Photo: Nick Monro "Lifeguards look forward to this time of year, when there is quite a bit of activity around the beach. We're really well prepared across the country." Emmet said Auckland's West Coast beaches often saw big crowds and also a high number of incidents. "The biggest concern for us is people finding a location to swim that's safe for them. If you're really hot in Auckland over the next few days, the East Coast will generally be safer than the West Coast." He stressed the importance of swimming at patrolled beaches between the flags. "Patrol hours are generally 10am to 6pm, but...

Heat alerts issued, warnings to prepare as temperatures set to soar

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