Rain for Damaging New Zealand Earthquake Cleanup

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

August 16,2013; 8:29PM,EDT

 

 

The weather will not aid cleanup efforts after Friday's damaging 6.5-magnitude earthquake and numerous aftershocks in central New Zealand.
The 6.5-magnitude earthquake rumbled at 2:31 p.m. Friday local time (10:31 p.m. Thursday EDT) about 18 miles south-southeast of Blenheim, on the South Island of New Zealand.
Eleven aftershocks that ranked from magnitudes of 4.6 to 5.9 followed in the six hours after the initial earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Several homes near the epicenter of the initial earthquake sustained severe damage, stated the Associated Press. Chimneys collapsed and roofs caved.
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A bridge on the main highway near Seddon, a town close to the epicenter, was also severely damaged. A portion of the highway itself became littered with rocks and debris.
No severe injuries or deaths have been reported.

Earthquake damage to a property in the small South Island town of Seddon after a magnitude-6.5 earthquake hit in the upper South Island of New Zealand, Friday, Aug. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Bejon Haswell/NZ Herald)
The weather will not aid cleanup efforts this weekend. Rain arriving Friday night will persist through Saturday, falling the steadiest on Saturday in the morning hours. Clouds, occasional rain and drizzle will follow for Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to rise to around 12 degrees C (54 degrees F) each day, which is fairly typical for this time of year. A brisk wind from the southeast at 15 to 30 kph (10-20 mph) will occasionally blow.