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MetService warns of wet, windy weather for New Zealand

MetService warns of wet, windy weather for New Zealand

Two weather systems are forecast to sweep across New Zealand, bringing rain and wind before spring’s arrival.  MetService forecaster Luis Fernandes told the Herald a low-pressure system would pass across the top of the North Island today.  “It is going to result in a fairly wet day for Northland, through Auckland and the Coromandel, through to the Bay of Plenty and all the way down to Gisborne,” he said.  ?Weather outlook for the weekWhilst we have been experiencing relatively settled winter conditions across Aotearoa New Zealand recently, there are some changes coming this week as we move closer to the start of meteorological spring.The upper North Island can expect rain and… pic.twitter.com/5FSTvWTg8q— MetService (@MetService) August 25, 2025 MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Tairāwhiti north of Gisborne city from 6am until midnight tonight.  Fernandes said the low would bring strong winds for much of the affected areas.  A strong wind watch is already in place for eastern areas of Northland and Great Barrier Island until 3pm with gusts forecast to reach 100km/h in some areas.  “Things for that region will clear off quite a bit by the time we reach Thursday.”  ❗?Severe Weather UpdateWatches are in place across the country as a result of the rain band from the north and a front moving up from the south later this weekFor the North, there is a Heavy Rain Watch out for the Gisborne region with rainfall amounts approaching… pic.twitter.com/YVHhp2Udtq— MetService (@MetService) August 26, 2025 The bottom half of the North Island and much of the South Island will have clear skies.  However, by Thursday evening, a new front bringing heavy rain and strong winds will make its way up the country, starting from the south of the South Island.  “The front is quite fast-moving,” Fernandes said.  “While it sweeps across the South Island on Thursday morning, by the time we get to late evening on Thursday, it’s already pushing on to much of the western North Island.  “In Auckland, you will already start getting rain late Thursday evening, all the way down to Taranaki.”  MetService has issued heavy rain and strong wind watches for Fiordland and the Otago lakes and rivers from late Thursday evening until about midday Friday.  According to its severe weather forecast, there is a moderate chance these watches will be upgraded to warnings.  David Williams is an Auckland-based Multimedia Journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics.

North Otago farmer Jane Smith standing for Ravensdown board seat

North Otago farmer Jane Smith standing for Ravensdown board seat

North Otago farmer Jane Smith is standing for the Ravensdown South Island director seat. She's one of three candidates for the seat including incumbent Nicky Hyslop and Rebecca Keoghan. Voting commences August 27. Smith says she was approached by a group of shareholders to stand, and her decision was driven by concern around the current state of play in the fertiliser sector - an industry she spent a decade working in before going rural banking and then full-time farming. "Our fertiliser co-ops need to be nimble, sharply prices and open-minded about what the structure of the fertiliser sector looks like going forward," Smith told Rural News . "Ravensdown was founded by farmers, for farmers. I make no apology for being ruthlessly clear on my vision for Ravensdown - secure and transparent fertiliser supply, quality and pricing. "The exact same mantra when the co-op was established back in the late 1970s. We can't afford fiscal follies on expensive pet projects that aren't aligned with this core business objective and need to focus 100% on product quality, sustainably competitive pricing and nimble procurement. "Ravensdown has always been known for innovation and can stay at the forefront of this." Read More: Ravensdown opens state-of-the-art soil testing lab in Rolleston Ravensdown targets first farmer rebate in four years amid business restructure Kate Faulks urges more farmers to step into governance roles Smith acknowledges that it is easy to criticise from the outside but remains concerned that Ravensdown has built an empire that may not be as agile as it needs to be in the changing landscape of New Zealand's fertiliser sector. "The number of new competitors into the sector has been a real wake up call. I acknowledge it is easy to cherrypick certain aspects of the market, but the net effect of these new entrants is that farmers are accessing clearer, cheaper deals on the day. "This is what our co-ops were established for. If we aren't delivering on that, then the strength of a co-op is based on nostalgia. A discussion around whether current levels of domestic manufacturing is still relevant long term or whether importing a higher percentage of product is the most efficient way forward needs to be had with both of our fertiliser co-ops. "I believe the Ravensdown board have made some hard calls over the past 24 months and I support these. Unfortunately, there may be some even harder calls to make over the next 3-5 years." Jane Smith Smith has previously aired concern that many agricultural company boards are operating under a "catholic conclave" model with a defensiveness from directors but assured Rural News that she wants to be constructive, not destructive. "The easy option would be to just look the other way and do my day job. However, this is a sector that I am passionate about and feel I can add some knowledge to. As a full-time farmer in the trenches I know that decissions made in the barracks need to have a line of sight back to the grassroots. Pricing, spreader operations, transporters, farmers and the field team are the litmus test on head office decisions." Voting closes on September 23 and results will be announced later that day. For the North Island area, sitting director Jacqueline Rowarth has been elected unopposed. #JANE_SMITH #Ravensdown

US tariffs threaten NZ horticulture exports

US tariffs threaten NZ horticulture exports

"Unwelcome" is how the chief executive of the Horticulture Export Authority (HEA), Simon Hegarty, describes the 15% tariff that the US has imposed on primary exports to that country. The US imports just on NZ$1 billion worth of our horticulture exports, with wine at the top of the list, but also includes apples, kiwifruit and a range of other products. The tariffs come at a time when our total apple exports to the USA were increasing. Hegarty says the new tariffs could possibly lead to a slowdown in sales to the USA and may lead to product having to be diverted elsewhere. He says the tariffs create uncertainty and risk. "And they are unjustified because we don't charge any tariffs on any US product coming into NZ," he told Rural News . He says initially the sector went from very low tariffs before being hit by the 10% tariffs, which came into effect in April, and says the 15% tariff will bring challenges. He says at this stage it's uncertain who will wear the cost of the higher tariffs - the consumer or the suppliers or a combination of both. Hegarty says there may come a point where US consumers start buying less NZ product and possibly turn to cheaper imports from South America. He says it's possible, as suggested by other commentators, that the tariffs will have wider global repercussions which could affect NZ. Read More: Trump's tariffs put $1.3B NZ exports to US at risk, DCANZ warns McClay pushes back on new US tariffs on NZ goods Mike Petersen: NZ must stay nimble amid trade turmoil "I can't see anything good out of this for us. It's just degrees of market weakness and greater instability. Exporters look for certainty and stability and these tariffs raise more instability and increase uncertainty and risk. There is nothing positive for us," he says. The tariff is also impacting other sectors; NZ's $1.3 billion dairy trade with the US is also coming under pressure as a result of the tariffs. Dairy Companies Association of NZ executive director Kimberly Crewther says the way the tariffs have been applied to NZ and other dairy exporting nations to the USA will severely disadvantage us and give our competitors an edge over us. Most of NZ's dairy exports to the USA are casein and protein products and it's the whey concentrate protein that poses the biggest problem for NZ, according to Crewther. She says while NZ is facing a 15% tariff, the Canadians will continue to export into the US market duty free in direct competition with us. She says our infant formula exports to the USA will also be affected. Crewther points out that while Trump has imposed what appears to be the same 15% tariff on dairy imports from the EU, the reality of the situation is quite different. She says in the case of the EU, the previous tariffs on exports to the USA were higher than 15% and now these are effectively lowered which gives them an advantage over us. "We are very disappointed with waht's happened and are just hoping the full cost of the tariffs will not be borne by us," she says. DCANZ executive director Kimberly Crewther Meanwhile, Trade Minister Todd McClay has been in Washington meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and US industry representatives, think tanks, and his agriculture counterpart, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. Before he left, McClay noted that the visit was an opportunity to discuss the impact of the tariffs and better understand the factors that may influence future US policy on these. He says the two countries have a long-standing, well-balanced trading relationship, with periods where the US has enjoyed a surplus and times, like now, when NZ has a modest one. "I will be seeking to understanding the effect of any change in trade flows for example, if New Zealand's current surplus shifted to a deficit, and what that might mean for our exporters," he says. #HORTICULTURE_EXPORT_AUTHORITY #SIMON_HEGARTY #US_TARIFFS