Wellington CBD is open for business as usual, however some areas may be cordoned off due to broken glass. Please respect cordons and exercise care.

Wellington District police say there are no reports of significant damage in the city so far following this afternoon's 6.2 magnitude earthquake.

Photo - Andrew Burns

Photo - Emily O'Halloran

Latest update from Wellington Region Emergency Management Office for Tuesday 23 July 2013

Photos - Ciaran Robert Callaghan

ROADS

Expect delays.

Featherston Street is down to one lane with a 30km/hr speed limit. There may be delays in this area so avoid if possible. There will also be no parking on Featherston Street today. Pedestrian access has been arranged but pedestrians will have to cross the road in places.

Bolton Street between the Terrace and SH1 overbridge is down to one lane.

All major structures (bridges etc) have been assessed by engineers and deemed sound.

PARKING

Parking will be tight today as three parking buildings in town are closed, meaning 1500 fewer parks in town. James Smith, Reading Cinema and Victoria Street Parking Center (on corner of Willeston and Victoria Street) are closed.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Trains and buses running as normal this morning.

BUILDING ISSUES

Take care as you return to work today. Report any damage to your manager/employer.
There is likely to be some debris, so please take care when cleaning up.

Building owners should contact an engineer if there is any potential structural damage.
If this poses a risk to public safety, let WCC know - 499 4444.

Infrastructure has held up well, as have most buildings. No major structural issues with buildings have been reported around the city.

UTILITIES

All utilities are working normally.

If people notice leaks or issues with water where it shouldn't be, they should contact their local council to report them.

SUPPORT

As aftershocks continue, Skylight 's web based support is launched for those who are feeling very anxious, (including children and teens) or who want to support others who are.
See http://skylight.org.nz/Earthquake+Aftermath+Support

GET PREPARED

www.getprepared.co.nz has information on what to do before, during and after an emergency event.

There is information on survival kits here:http://www.gw.govt.nz/survival-kit/. Your local council will also sell Grab&Go emergency kits, or you can purchase them here:https://www.facebook.com/WREMOnz/app_125494904229578

The BOP Live has been sent some photos of the recent damage done to Wellington, thanks Ciaran Robert Callaghan for the photos.

4.30pm update from Wellington Region Emergency Management Office

Wellington police remain in a support role to Civil Defence and Wellington City Council staff as building assessments continue in the capital this morning.

Acting District Commander Superintendent Sue Schwalger says it has been a quite night in Wellington overnight.

“Police maintained a careful watch over the city last night and resumed normal policing activities shortly after the main cordons were removed.

“I’m pleased to say there have been no arrests for anything related to yesterday’s earthquake. Traffic flows into the city are lighter than usual this morning so it is good to see commuters appear to be heeding advice to delay their travel to the city.

“Eight extra units were redeployed last night to assist with cordons and they maintained a visible presence throughout the city.

“Police will continue to assist engineers and council staff this morning as a street by street check of the CBD is carried out.

“It remains business as usual for Wellington police and we continue to respond to emergency calls as normal throughout the district.” says Superintendent Schwalger.

The 111 communications centre at Wellington Central police station received around 600 extra calls in the two hour period between 5.00pm and 7.00pm yesterday following the 6.5 earthquake.

A large 6.5 magnitude earthquake has hit just south of Wellington this evening.

A large quake has shook central New Zealand this morning.

Massive 7.0 Earthquake, No Tsunami Expected 

Iloilo City, Philippines, 17 April 2012, (0730Z)--A week after Northern Sumatra in Indonesia had its largest Earthquake on 11 April 2012, an 8.6 Mb shallow strike-slip Earthquake, at 0838Z (0438PM-PHL), and a shock at 1043Z (0643PM-PHL), it generated local tsunamis of 1.06 m at 1007Z (0607PM-PHL) in Meulaboh, Indonesia, at about 395 km West-southwest of the epicenter.

Fig. 1.0 "The PTWC has pegged the depth of today's strongest at 147.2 km beneath the surface. Image Courtesy: PTWC."

Fig. 2.0 "The epicenter was a bit shallow, according to the USGS, and just offshore near the Northernmost tip of Lae. Image Courtesy: USGS."

Twin Earthquakes Hit Northern Sumatra, Tsunami Cancelled As Minor Waves Reached Indonesia

Iloilo City, Philippines, 12 April 2012, (1730Z)--A World in shock as gigantic "Seismic Upheaval," has yet again struck Sumatra in Indonesia today, sending people running for their lives across several Southeast Asian countries in fear of another "Tsunami" onslaught.  


On 11 April 2012, a major jolt was recorded to have reached a massive 8.9 Mb preliminary estimates by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), where in the later hours, it was downgraded to 8.7 Mb, 31 km beneath the surface, considered as "Very shallow."

Fig. 1.0 "A sudden release of tension--an undersea Strike-slip Earthquake has yet again struck the volatile, and  Seismically active fault lines along the Sunda Subduction Zone off Sumatra, Indonesia, sending off a whopping 8.7 Mb Temblor widely felt across the rest of Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.  Image Credit: PTWC."

The Temblor has occurred at around 0839Z, where most estimates pegged at 0838.35Z, that is 1538.35PM in Medan, Indonesia, (0438.35PM-PHL), at about 2.3N-93.1E or 626 km Southwest of it, where a population reaching 1,750,971 more or less thrive in the city, or 426 km Southwest of Banda Aceh, with population of 250,757.

Fig. 2.0 "This graphical representation would give you an idea on how large the Twin Temblors are and how closely together they occurred in a span of 2 hours.  Image Credit: UNEC."

Reports are coming in that there has been violent shaking which resulted to evacuation of people en masse, seeking higher grounds fearing yet another nightmare wrought about by numerous "Tsunami" incidence across the Sumatran coast since 26 December 2004, that was the "Great 9.1 Mb Sumatran Earthquake," which occurred on a 1,400 km stretch of undersea rupture, called "Subduction," by the experts from around the world.  

Fig. 3.0 "People are panicking outside the malls in Northern Malaysia as strong jolts have been shaking the region in the light of the ongoing seismicity along Sumatra, Indonesia.  Image Credit: Unknown."

In Meulaboh, Indonesia, a 1.06 m (3.5 ft) was recorded at coastal tide gauges.  At the moment, there had been three (3) deaths, and hundreds injured.  More updates coming in that panic and massive traffic jams in Aceh Province immediately after the major jolt, and also, people were sent running for dear life across tremor-hit regions of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and India.  Most of the people went to higher ground in anticipation of an ensuing Indian Ocean-wide "Tsunamis."

The highest "Tsunami waves" has struck Suak Uleue, Indonesia at 6.0 m (20 ft) at about 01.26 hrs after the seismic event has commenced off the Northern Sumatran coast along the Sunda Trench.



A maximum read of a "Tsunami," wave height of 1.8 m (6 ft) was recorded in Naibos, Indonesia at around 01.08 hrs after the initial 8.7 Mb event.




According to some of my researches since the 2004 "Boxing Day Tsunami," the energy of the waves involved are just staggering according to its length from crest to crest, which accords to several hundred kilometers or more, where most of the ocean-going vessels may not even know it has come across below it and could exceed the speed of a jetliner, reaching a whopping 970 km/hr (600 mi/hr) at the most in several feet below the water mark.

Fig. 4.0 "This is an official estimated TOA of the Tsunami waves Indian Ocean-wide as far-reaching the North Atlantic Basin.  Image Credit: WCATWC."

These unusual tidal surges and receding are also referred to as geologic events caused by "Seismic Upheavals," which generate "Seismic sea waves," where scientists from across the globe attribute its generation from Earthquake-related mechanism.



The mechanisms involved in such event, by international standards, a "Tsunami," pronounced (soo-NAH-mee), are generally referred to as a series of waves that extends a wide stretch of long wave length generated in a particular body of water, with such herculean force involving a "Rippling effect," of gargantuan proportions that creates a pool of disturbance of water, called "Displacement," which are commonly caused by Earthquakes, as one of the massive forces of nature that decimates or obliterates everything along its immediate path.

Other potential sources of a "Tsunami," are huge Landslides, volcanic eruptions, nuclear explosions, asteriod impacts, or comets and large meteors coming from the outer space that could generate an immense explosion on impact, equivalent to that of hundreds of megatons of nuclear energy that causes the seas and oceans to rise rapidly and fall with such a momentum that give rise to the devastating forces of such a cataclysmic event.


So, the question now is that, when does a massive "Tsunami," wave become lethal?  The answer would be that during its final approach along a shallow stretch of a particular coastline, the "Tsunami" waves eases, pulling back, gaining momentum and reaching a height as it diminishes in acceleration, the waves grow even higher along the shallower banks, wherein during the 2004 "Boxing Day Tsunami," it has peaked at the highest mark in Simuelue Island, a mind-boggling 37 m (123 ft), with devastating succession, just less than 3 minutes from impact, which has killed more than 273,000 people across 14 countries.


This has been your Weatherguy hailing from the Philippines, Mabuhay! =)


With data from WCATWC, PTWC, USGS, Westernpacificweather.com
(Note: If you have queries, email me at amanzan@smartbro.net or through weatherguyadonis@theboplive.net)