Cyclone Gita expected to hit West Coast on Tuesday
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/nz 17 Feb 2018 10:01 NZDT
17 February 2018
Cyclone Gita in the early hours of Tuesday morning about 18 hours before making landfall © Predictwind.com
Tropical Cyclone Gita is expected to hit the West Coast of the South Island on Tuesday evening, with the centre passing north of Greymouth.
There is still some disagreement between the Predictwind feeds, indicating that the prognosis does not have a high degree of certainty. The other two feeds, show Gita making a softer landing in Greymouth and later in the week - on Wednesday.
On Saturday, the most detailed of the feeds ECMWF shows the worst effects with winds gusting to 80kts and very heavy rain beginning late Tuesday evening and with the cyclone being at its fiercest in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
It would seem that Cyclone Gita will pack the same short but violent weather-wallop that has struck Niue, Tonga and Samoa as she tours the Pacific.
The latest predictions show Gita heading towards the Australian coasts before making a turn to the SE and advancing down the Tasman Sea before checking in north of Greymouth.
Once it hits New Zealand Cyclone Gita seems to lose some intensity as it passes over the Southern Alps and continues eastward out into the Pacific. The spread of damage seems confined to a narrow band north of Greymouth however strong winds and heavy rain will be felt north and south of its path. Latest projections on Sunday have it that Gita will break up as it passes over New Zealand.