Napier flood indirectly linked to atmospheric river phenomena
11 Mar, 2021 05:02 PM
3 minutes to read
Two atmospheric rivers in the leadup to November 9 laid the foundation for the heavy rainfall that caused the Napier Flood. Photo / File
Two atmospheric rivers in the leadup to November 9 laid the foundation for the heavy rainfall that caused the Napier Flood. Photo / File
New research points to New Zealand's costliest floods coinciding with "atmospheric rivers", but Niwa says November's flood in Napier was not directly triggered by the phenomena.
Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that move huge columns of water vapour in the direction of preceding weather.