"There's two words New Zealanders are going to get used to hearing, and that's managed retreat" Finance minister Grant Robertson on the costs of Cyclone Gabrielle, and the lessons youtube.com/watch?v=uuAJdf…

In case you missed it: I talk insurance affordability, risk based pricing and managed retreat with Jack Tame on Q+A youtube.com/watch?v=N3qulo…

Heroes stuff.co.nz/national/weath…

Any location can experience extreme rainfall. The impacts begin to compound when many places face extreme rain at the same time. Even without data from badly-hit Tairāwhiti or Tararua, combined Gabrielle rainfall anomalies for Northland, Coromandel and Hawke's Bay are massive.

The data is in: Cyclone Gabrielle, one of New Zealand's worst weather disasters in history, has been re-analyzed... Gabrielle (left) was stronger than Bola (1988) & Gisele (1968), reaching a minimum pressure of 966.8 hPa near Great Barrier Island as per ERA5. @Jamienzherald

One key difference between Gabrielle, Bola & Gisele? Moisture availability around the North Island. In the most recent decade, total atmospheric moisture was 5.3% higher than the 1960s (Gisele) & 3.2% higher than the 1980s (Bola). This equates to more fuel for heavy rain.

Tom Clark Grim stuff, Tom. For comparison, here's a similar graph for NZ, much messier because it has all our core benefits in it; but if one ignores all that, the trend is clear: a sharp increase under Ardern, albeit not enough to overturn 30 years of cuts/neglect.

Twitter please show me the definition of cognitive dissonance oneroof.co.nz/news/stunning-…

NIWA’s scientists Daithi Stone, Sue Rosier, Sam Dean are part of a 5 year research programme on extreme events and their attribution, #WhakahuraProgramme, lead by DaveFrame

Good news on global mitigation efforts.

#CycloneGabrielle brought a new wave of attention to climate change’s effects on extreme weather events. #WhakahuraProgramme member Daíthí Stone and others were in the media discussing the science behind #CycloneGabrielle Read more:

Five charts that changed the world bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/f…

We have collated all our research outputs relating to extreme weather, recovery and adaptation in one handy location. We are adding new materials all the time. If you can’t find what you’re looking for please let us know! ➡️ bit.ly/3JQCIsi

Devastating drought in Horn of Africa would not have been a drought if it wasn't for climate change - striking result in our new World Weather Attribution study worldweatherattribution.org/human-induced-…

The point of climate denial isn’t to convince us of an alternative fact but to muddy the waters and waste our time so we don’t focus on what’s really important, which is climate solutions (top 5: wind, solar, energy efficiency, stop deforestation, cut CH₄ emissions).

An atmospheric river as seen from above 🛰️. This is the fuel for heavy rain that will impact parts of the motu.

Anyone else notice One News messing with the nation’s financial literacy today? Clearly not the presenter’s responsibility. Something went very wrong in the control room.

Interesting World Weather Attribution study on heavy rain in Northern Italy finding increase in heavy rain through global warming & fewer cyclones reaching the region leading to no change in heavy rain - flood risk has still increased due to massive urbanisation - worldweatherattribution.org/limited-net-ro…

This is why sea temperatures matter

Here’s a comic from 2021, about inequities in the health system and the need for Māori health services thespinoff.co.nz/the-best-of/19…