The North Island is in line to be hit by smoke and haze from bushfires currently raging in Australia, after the South Island received a dusting on New Year's Day.
Two surfers look out across Makorori Beach near Gisborne where smoke haze from the Australia bushfires has cloaked the East Coast. Photo: Supplied / Gray Clapham
Firefighters are battling blazes in multiple states in Australia and warnings are in place across large parts of New South Wales.
Tourists currently holidaying in the state have been asked to leave the South Coast region ahead of more dangerous conditions this weekend.
New Zealand saw a bit of the consequence of fires on Wednesday after the smoke drifted thousands of kilometres across the Tasman to the lower South Island.
Paul Bonner told the Otago Daily Times that smoke was covering mountain tops in Queenstown and made for hazy-yellow skies in Cromwell.
NIWA meteorologist Chris Brandolino told Summer Times most of New Zealand's weather comes from the west of New Zealand, where Australia is, and the country has had a lot of that over the last couple of days.
Smoke from the #AustralianFires , ahead of the S'ly change, now over the North Island. Smoke expected to leave the South Island as today unfolds. pic.twitter.com/mkIxppwl4t
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) January 1, 2020
Brandolino said it's clear to see on weather satellites the haze was no longer just affecting the South Island and had now made its way north.
"You can plainly see that there is this band of smoke over much of the North Island.
"Looking at the aforementioned modelling that is forecast to persist throughout the day, the smokiness over the North Island."
The sun rises through the smoke from Australia's bushfires drifting over New Zealand, at New Brighton Beach in Christchurch on 1 January. Photo: Sanka Vidanagama/NurPhoto / AFP
Niwa said there have also been temperature reductions across the country due to the smoke yesterday and today.
Twitter users across the North Island reported the sun appearing as a red blob in the sky as the haze hit.
This the view from the top of the Tasman Glacier NZ today - whole South island experiencing bushfire clouds. We can actually smell the burning here in Christchurch. Thinking of you guys. #nswbushfire #AustralianFires #AustraliaBurning pic.twitter.com/iCzOGkou4o
— Miss Roho (@MissRoho) January 1, 2020
Australia’s smoke blotting the sun over Wellington airport pic.twitter.com/sS7HDD6ybz
— Bernard Hickey (@bernardchickey) January 1, 2020
Wind conditions mean the smoke should disappear over the next couple of days, but Brandolino doesn't expect it to be gone for long.
"There are some pretty good indications as we close in on the upcoming weekend, particularly, say Saturday for the South Island, then maybe even ... Sunday for the North Island, there could be another round of this hazy or smokiness to the sky."
