Hi there
As I write this on Sunday morning in Auckland, we're beginning to see the start of bad weather from Cyclone Gabrielle, which is expected to cause high winds and extreme rain in the upper North Island.
Depressingly, I'm seeing the Met Service and media being criticised for the warnings, with people saying it's not going to be as bad as predicted and that the warnings are issued to make people scared.
Of course, weather prediction is just a prediction. Weather systems are extremely complex and they can only give warnings based on probabilities - but people expect them to be 100% accurate.
Should it turn out to not be as bad as predicted, there will be a Cry Wolf pushback. There's also the theory that more severe warnings are being issued to make up for the lack of warning about the recent floods, at least from Auckland's local government. Personally, I'd rather the warnings erred on the side of making people wary and prepared, than nonchalant and unprepared.
Anyway, I've a few topics this week. And it's just me. Bronwyn is deep in her PhD research, so doesn't have an article this week, but I'm sure she'll be continuing her series on weird religious figures with NZ connections next week.