Post by kokonutwoman on Jan 9, 2009 5:24:18 GMT 12
Heat rises, tempers flare
Press reporters - The Press | Friday, 09 January 2009
The hottest January day in Canterbury for 30 years set off fire alarms and sent thousands of people to the beaches yesterday.
Tempers flared at Sumner Beach, where Christchurch police had to break up a fight.
A swimmer was also rescued from the sea at Sumner.
The official MetService temperature hit 35.7deg in Christchurch just before 3pm, just behind the highest January maximum of 35.9deg in 1979.
It was the hottest day in the city since March 1998, when the temperature reached 35.9deg. Amateur observers in Christchurch and North Canterbury reported unofficial highs between 38deg and 40deg.
The heat is set to continue today, with temperatures reaching 29deg or 30deg before a southerly sweeps in tonight.
The region's, and New Zealand's, hottest temperature is 42.4deg in Rangiora on February 7, 1973.
Cloud cover gave some relief from the sweltering conditions yesterday afternoon, but temperatures remained around 30deg into the night.
The scorching heat created problems for emergency services, with the Fire Service reporting "about 18 or 19" callouts to fire alarms that had been activated.
Action Alarms technician Darryl Oakley said the false alarms may have been due to the use of heat-detectors in alarm systems.
Buses heading to beaches were full.
"We're taking full loads out to Sumner on nearly every bus. If they all try to come back at the same time we're stuffed," Environment Canterbury passenger services manager Wayne Holton-Jeffreys said.
Some drivers were driving around with open engine flaps to cool their buses.
Christchurch road workers did their best to stay a step ahead of the heat.
City Care drainage foreman Russell McDonald said workers were taking water and shade breaks every hour to ensure they did not suffer sunstroke.
"It really drains you. We're working in the middle of the road with no break from the sun, so it does slow you down," he said.
Workers finished two hours earlier than usual to avoid excessive sun exposure.
Surf Life Saving Canterbury manager Dougal Holmes said things were going "berserk" around Christchurch.
A man had to be rescued at Sumner when he went swimming after drinking alcohol. He was given oxygen and taken to hospital by ambulance, Holmes said.
"People aren't used to the heat and sun they are getting, and it's knocking them for six," he said.
Police attended a fight that broke out near Sumner's Cave Rock, and two swimmers got into trouble near the mouth of the Waimakariri River but managed to swim back to shore.
"It's dealing with the sheer numbers. When you have big groups of people together, lots of things seem to go wrong," Holmes said.
Last week, two people had to be taken away by ambulance because of heat exhaustion, and lifeguards were constantly telling people to cover up after seeing bad cases of sunburn.
"We do our best but can't enforce anything. We can only advise," Holmes said.
Lifeguards usually patrolled the beaches until 6pm, but this had been extended to 8pm for the past two days.
"I'm a bit stretched for staff at the moment. I've employed another couple of lifeguards and if the weather keeps up I'll have to continue doing so," he said.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said generally warm, dry conditions were likely in the east of the South Island until the end of March.
Temperatures around the region today are expected to reach 29deg or 30deg.
A cold southerly change tonight should bring some rain tomorrow and a likely high of just 15deg.
Press reporters - The Press | Friday, 09 January 2009
The hottest January day in Canterbury for 30 years set off fire alarms and sent thousands of people to the beaches yesterday.
Tempers flared at Sumner Beach, where Christchurch police had to break up a fight.
A swimmer was also rescued from the sea at Sumner.
The official MetService temperature hit 35.7deg in Christchurch just before 3pm, just behind the highest January maximum of 35.9deg in 1979.
It was the hottest day in the city since March 1998, when the temperature reached 35.9deg. Amateur observers in Christchurch and North Canterbury reported unofficial highs between 38deg and 40deg.
The heat is set to continue today, with temperatures reaching 29deg or 30deg before a southerly sweeps in tonight.
The region's, and New Zealand's, hottest temperature is 42.4deg in Rangiora on February 7, 1973.
Cloud cover gave some relief from the sweltering conditions yesterday afternoon, but temperatures remained around 30deg into the night.
The scorching heat created problems for emergency services, with the Fire Service reporting "about 18 or 19" callouts to fire alarms that had been activated.
Action Alarms technician Darryl Oakley said the false alarms may have been due to the use of heat-detectors in alarm systems.
Buses heading to beaches were full.
"We're taking full loads out to Sumner on nearly every bus. If they all try to come back at the same time we're stuffed," Environment Canterbury passenger services manager Wayne Holton-Jeffreys said.
Some drivers were driving around with open engine flaps to cool their buses.
Christchurch road workers did their best to stay a step ahead of the heat.
City Care drainage foreman Russell McDonald said workers were taking water and shade breaks every hour to ensure they did not suffer sunstroke.
"It really drains you. We're working in the middle of the road with no break from the sun, so it does slow you down," he said.
Workers finished two hours earlier than usual to avoid excessive sun exposure.
Surf Life Saving Canterbury manager Dougal Holmes said things were going "berserk" around Christchurch.
A man had to be rescued at Sumner when he went swimming after drinking alcohol. He was given oxygen and taken to hospital by ambulance, Holmes said.
"People aren't used to the heat and sun they are getting, and it's knocking them for six," he said.
Police attended a fight that broke out near Sumner's Cave Rock, and two swimmers got into trouble near the mouth of the Waimakariri River but managed to swim back to shore.
"It's dealing with the sheer numbers. When you have big groups of people together, lots of things seem to go wrong," Holmes said.
Last week, two people had to be taken away by ambulance because of heat exhaustion, and lifeguards were constantly telling people to cover up after seeing bad cases of sunburn.
"We do our best but can't enforce anything. We can only advise," Holmes said.
Lifeguards usually patrolled the beaches until 6pm, but this had been extended to 8pm for the past two days.
"I'm a bit stretched for staff at the moment. I've employed another couple of lifeguards and if the weather keeps up I'll have to continue doing so," he said.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said generally warm, dry conditions were likely in the east of the South Island until the end of March.
Temperatures around the region today are expected to reach 29deg or 30deg.
A cold southerly change tonight should bring some rain tomorrow and a likely high of just 15deg.
