It's an Australian thing, usually

[johnr]

But we were having winds up to 160 k (about 100 mph) combined with the hottest day on record for this time of the year. One town recording 30 c (86 F). I suppose there was an inevitability to it.

About 6 or 7 of them sprang up in the lower  East side of the South Island.





Firefighters had a busy day (and night and following day) receiving over 1000 calls in one 24 hour period.

Fortunately while the winds remained, the temperature plummeted by 20c in the evening and it rained.  Things then got under control.

Only one person was injured but there was quite a bit of property damage.

I've never seen this happen before.

[Sasquatch Jim]

100 MPH winds and fire is an incredibly dangerous mix.

[ITSec]

Was it a dry winter? If so, this doesn't bode well for the coming summer.

I hate to think what would happen if we actually had any trees around Las Vegas, given the heat and winds we have here!

[johnr]

Was it a dry winter? If so, this doesn't bode well for the coming summer.

In parts, namely the 'mid east' of the South Island, yes, it has been almost a drought winter. 

[redrider]

Ya'll take care down there, ya hear?

[johnr]

As a general rule the big fire danger, high winds, are not the norm in most of the dryer parts of the country.

They are where I live (right on the South Coast of the South Island) and in the Wellington area, but both places are usually pretty wet too. Invercargill gets 60" a year. I'm not sure about Wellington.

In the dryer area where forestation  is largely introduced pine rather than pretty much fireproof native rain forest, care is needed when it's dry, but the fanning winds tend as a rule to be much less severe.