Hamilton Climate Data Provider Cites $1 M Ex-Tropical Cyclone Dovi Impact As Reminder To Respect Vaianu Wind Warnings

Hamilton-based climate data firm ClimSystems is urging businesses, local authorities, and the public to look at the cost of 2022’s ex-tropical Cyclone Dovi to prepare for the arrival of ex-tropical Cyclone Vaianu this weekend.

Hamilton City Council estimated Cyclone Dovi’s financial impact to be over $1 million, the bulk of which was attributed to operational clean-up fees relating to tree damage and streetlight replacement. The council received more than 700 call-outs and 1,500 service requests relating to the event. With winds gusting above 120 km/h, tree failure was a major contributor to this economic cost. Falling trees caused other infrastructure damage, including powerlines, water pipes, and roads. Across New Zealand, more than 50,000 people experienced power outages during the Dovi event.

“Wind events are often underestimated compared to rainfall events, because the damage is less visible than widespread flooding,” says Dr Peter Urich, Managing Director of ClimSystems. “Our report on the 2022 Cyclone Dovi event showed that wind events associated with ex-tropical cyclones can have serious social and economic consequences to communities across New Zealand, even in landlocked places like Hamilton. Here, it was the cumulative cost of operational call-outs, power outages, transport disruptions, and structural failures that added up to the $1 million bill, not to mention the social and psychological impact on people affected.”

Earlier today, MetService issued a red strong wind warning for Coromandel and Great Barrier Island, forecasting severe gales and damaging gusts of at least 140 km/h. Across the Waikato, damaging gusts of at least 120 km/h are forecast, with a profile similar to the peak wind speeds recorded during the Cyclone Dovi event.

“As a partner of MetService, we rely on their world-class hindcast extreme wind speed data to help our clients model risk,” Dr Urich adds. “Their warnings for Cyclone Vaianu are clear and should be taken seriously by everyone across the North Island.”

About ClimSystems:

ClimSystems, part of SLR Consulting, is a leading provider of physical climate data, modelling, and analytics worldwide. Our team holds 11 PhDs across climate science, hydrology, geographic information systems, and data science. We’ve been providing climate change data and insights for over 20 years, supporting 2,605 projects over millions of assets across 52 countries.

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