Current Climate - January 2011
In January 2011 much lower-than-usual pressures affected the region north of New Zealand, resulting in more easterly winds than normal over the country. During the month, three lows of tropical origin brought torrential rain and gales; former tropical cyclones Vania and Zelia produced heavy rain on the 18th on the West Coast, resulting in the Fox River bursting its banks. A low of tropical origin (which formed near New Caledonia) moved towards New Zealand on January 22/23, producing extremely heavy rainfall, flooding, slips and road closures over much of the North Island, north of about Wanganui. Also, Tropical Cyclone Wilma moved rapidly across the northeastern North Island on the 28th/29th, causing widespread deluge rainfalls, severe flooding and slips, in northeastern regions of the North Island.