Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - 8AM Update: Wild Weather Set to Hit NZ

Episode Date: October 22, 2025

A rare red wind warning has been issued. Gusts of up to 200 km/h are already hammering the South Island, and the worst is yet to come.  MetService joins us in studio with the full breakdown.Stay indoors. Stay safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk weather, because the weather is the big topic of the day. Yeah, and I'll tell you what, she is the wind beneath our wings. I was like, where's he going with us? Heather Keats from the Met Service. Welcome to the studio. Thanks for having me, I think. You are our weather hero this morning. A weather, that's a good word, a weather hero.

I'm not sure if hero is the right word, though. I don't bring good news. Oh, really? It's not great. I mean, we're talking this morning. There's a red wind warning. in the, and particularly in the South Island, 150Ks, they thought, but there was up to 200Ks. Was there right?

We do see this in spots. So the Canterbury High Country, and in this particular location, it's really elevated, it's really exposed. But they are already recording over 200 kilometre an hour winds. Clayton, which is in South Canterbury, they're recording over 150 kilometre an hour win. So if you've woken up this morning and you're in Christchurch and you're thinking, it's actually not too bad, it's calm. It's coming.

Right, really? That's only going to get worse from here. And Wellington is yet to really see it too, but that's going to be a pretty rough day as well. A lot of people being advice to say at home. Absolutely. So a red warning, really rare. Only the 19th red event since Metsever's in 2019.

Oh, really? Wow. Yeah. So we kind of went if we don't pull them out very often. Yeah. When it's red, it's a threat to life. So we're talking about Gus and Wellington of 140Ks. For Christch, 130, for 140 even as you move up.

the coast, the Canterbury High Country, obviously 150. So those sorts of gusts, it becomes super hazardous. So the time to prepare has been and gone, and now it's just a time to hunker down. Because the minute you're out on the roads unnecessarily, and you're exposed to power line issues, debris, falling trees, you then become a hazard for emergency service agency, so your civil defence and your council who are also trying to keep things going and infrastructure and all the rest of it. So when it's red, just stand doors.

Okay. So there is a potential for massive power outages. Yeah, when you're talking of gusts of up to 200Ks, right, the power lines can arc. And we've got thunderstorms as well. And so lightning is hazardous. It's just one of those days where you can pick

pretty much anywhere in New Zealand and they're going to have some sort of impact. Even Auckland, which is pretty decent day. There's thunderstorms expected for them, which might not be great for the cricket. Oh yeah, that's the night, all right, yeah, Eden Park. We've got thunderstorms all up the country, all up the West Coast, tied up with the rain bands that are moving over,

but that rain's going to extend all the way out east, all the way through Christchurch, all the way up north. It's really windy a watch and for Hawke's Space, a 90K gusts this afternoon and evening. And then, yeah, those thunderstorms moving on up through Whitewater and Auckland. We keep talking about that woman we saw on social media and Wellington that got blown onto the road. 150k wind gusts would that blow people over that would blow small cars over really so

so Tuesday was a really windy day in Wellington and that was an orange wind warning so gusts have up to 130ks and that's what she would have been experienced probably maybe 100 110 gusts in those roads she's I was watching now you know I was going AI AI but it wasn't it wasn't and then you see the person on the Lyme scooter flying and you're like why are you on Yeah, it's one of those people that would go and check out the ocean if there was a storm or a tsunami coming. You must love those people here. Take care today is the main warning, particularly around the south, the bottom of the north as well. Absolutely.

What's doing on the long weekend, mate? What's doing? What's doing? What's doing? Because I feel like we might have jinxed it. Because last weekend was pretty good around the country. It was like, oh, spring, it's great. It's good.

Well, today, not so good. What's doing? What are you talking about? Spring's being rough. Yeah. Look, today's system is pretty. pretty fast moving, which is good. So tomorrow's an okay day.

And then Saturday's an okay day. Sunday's a bit windy. Monday's pretty rough. Oh, really? Yeah. So Monday we then have the next sort of area of low pressure that moves on from the Tasman Sea. So again, central and northern New Zealand this time is going to be impacted.

So there'll be heavy rain around places like Taranaki and whatnot. And then some severe north-west gusts again. Why'd you ask that question, John? Why'd you ask that question? It's not cold. Bring the vibes down. Thank you so much. Here the kids.

Midservice.