What in darnation is going on in New Zealand?

I really don't like hurricane season. Until now no one has ever mentioned hurricanes down your way. All they ever talk about is North of the Equator. Which causes some of us dummies to think we're special with our hurricanes.

Stay safe, do the smart thing and please post an update to how much smarter the New Zealanders are when it comes to listening.
 
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JustDave said:
Do hurricanes south of the equator generally travel from east to West? Just curious. I know your bathtub drains go backwards.
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Any which way at all. Cyclone Narelle, March 26th - April 5th, 2026, first made landfall at Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, travelled west 2,500km to Admiralty Bay in Western Australia.
Then turned south and travelled 2,600km to Esperance on the southern coast of Western Australia.
 
JustDave said:
Do hurricanes south of the equator generally travel from east to West? Just curious. I know your bathtub drains go backwards.
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It's the same Coriolis effect that causes bathtub drains to circle differently. In Hurricanes (Cyclones North of the equator) the winds rotate around th eye of the storm in a counter clockwise direction. In Typhoons (Cyclones south of the equartor) the winds rotate around the eye of the storm in a clockwise direction. I know because we here in Mobile Alabama are in Hurricane Alley and we watch the forecasts very carefully to see if we are going to be on the strong side (east) or weak side (west) of the storm.

Think about it this way. If the stornm is moving at 15 mph and you are on the right hand side of a counter clockwise storm (in our case that's east) that 15 mph is added to the intensity of the storms winds. But if you are on the other side that 15 mph is reduced from the storms winds. That's a 30 mph difference which could mean the differnce between a 6 foot storm surge and a 10 foot storm surge. Or your roof being blown off vs. losing a few shingles.

Don't ask me to explain why there is a Coriolis effect. I had it explained to me once and I think I understood it, but I've forgotten it since then. I'm sure if you google it or do a youtube search you can find the scientic explanation for it.
 
I hadn't heard about this on the news. Hope everyone will stay safe. So many times when I've seen beautiful, lush scenery in a T.V. shows and movies, I'll investigate where they were filmed. Often it's New Zealand.
 
Trade said:
It's the same Coriolis effect:

Think about it this way. If the stornm is moving at 15 mph and you are on the right hand side of a counter clockwise storm (in our case that's east) that 15 mph is added to the intensity of the storms winds. But if you are on the other side that 15 mph is reduced from the storms winds. That's a 30 mph difference which could mean the differnce between a 6 foot storm surge and a 10 foot storm surge. Or your roof being blown off vs. losing a few shingles.
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Like the Coriolis effect, this was explained in a book I had aboard during my blue water voyage. I knew that the trick was to get yourself to the weaker side of the storm, assuming you knew where you were, but your explanation of why the difference strength of the wind was the first explanation that I actually understood.
Trade said:
Don't ask me to explain why there is a Coriolis effect. I had it explained to me once and I think I understood it, but I've forgotten it since then. I'm sure if you google it or do a youtube search you can find the scientic explanation for it.
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I've had that explained too. I don't think I ever understood it, though. I just know it happens.
 
JustDave said:
I've had that explained too. I don't think I ever understood it, though. I just know it happens.
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I had a similar experiance understanding why the seasons were different depending on where you were in the world. In elementary school all you needed to known was the phrase "because the earth rotates on it's axis" As long as you could repeat that phrase from memory when you were called upon in class or had it as a question about it on it test you given credit for the right answer. But I had no idea what that actually meant. Finally, I think it was in High School one of the teachers did a demonstration with a flashlight and a globe and it made sense to me.
 
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