Rimutaka Hill (11 Aug 07)

[Grub]

Just in case anyone was thinking of going that way - don't.

A car has just been pushed across the other side of the road and had its windscreen wipers ripped of by the wind.

[Grub]

Police are closing the road. Trucks and cars are stopping all up the hill. One truck is tipping up on two wheels.

Cars are being blown into the armco and there's a truck on the Featherston side trying to back out of harms way.

[Str8 Jacket]

Jeepers! And I thought it was pretty bad riding around town this morning!!

[roadracingoldfart]

I have been over the hill on days like this and it aint pretty.
I was over there one time and was blown against the wire fence on the Featherston side about half way down and i couldnt get the bike away from the fence as the wind was sooo strong. A truck parked to act as a wind break for me so i could do a u-turn and go back home.

[Kendog]

The gentle Wellington breeze strikes again.

[Grub]

The road may be closed for the night ...

Wind gusts on the hill are being recorded at up to 150kmh. There are vehicles stranded on both sides and the people have been ferried off the hill to await developments

Pretty dramatic huh ... i want to go and rubberneck ... but i won't coz it would only be cool if I was allowed up to the top :)

[cowboyz]

thats getting pretty insane. Would be good to get some videos of it.

[Hawkeye]

I came along the Quay in Welly at around 11pm last night heading for SH1. I came up to the lights at the train station, in the right hand lane. As I was crossing the junction, I suddenly went from 50 to 20 as a gust hit me and then, with me leaning at about 30%, it shifted me a full lane left. Thankfully nothing was coming up that lane behind me. It became an 'interesting' ride home after that, especially the gorge.

[gsp0702]

We came back over the hill after lunch - probably just before they closed it, it was not nice and some poor guy on a blue R1 or R6 had been blown off, loads of very friendly guys giving him a hand, he looked ok - shaken though.

[Madness]

NZ Police CommCens Alert 18:35 11-08-2007 Wellington

Location of incident: Wellington

Incident Type: Rimutaka Hill Road

The Rimutaka Hill Road will remain closed for a further 3 hours according to Fulton Hoagn who are monitoring the situation. They will review it again at 2100 hrs.
Issued By: Inspector James Taare

Windwatch. I need to get me a job like that.

[sels1]

Windwatch. I need to get me a job like that.

There is an automatic weather station on top of the 'Takas. Installed and maintained by Metservice for TransitNZ. It reports via cellphone network to Metservice's National Forecasting Centre in Kelburn and the info is deseminated from there.

I rode Spitties Bandit down to TSS for him around lunchtime - twas fun goin over the Paekak Hill but got pretty wet in the Hutt.

[James Deuce]

There is an automatic weather station on top of the 'Takas. Installed and maintained by Metservice for TransitNZ. It reports via cellphone network to Metservice's National Forecasting Centre in Kelburn and the info is deseminated from there.



Obviously installed, maintained and calibrated by Aucklanders. I've ridden over there in much heavier conditions than today. It isn't fun, but geez this country is getting soft.

[Madness]

There is an automatic weather station on top of the 'Takas. Installed and maintained by Metservice for TransitNZ. It reports via cellphone network to Metservice's National Forecasting Centre in Kelburn and the info is deseminated from there.

Ah, of course. The flash looking tower that some pillock wrote "Kawasaki" into the concrete footing when it was still wet.

Actually I had pictured two large indigenous fellows, holding an erect index finger out the truck window intermittently.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah it was quite odd, me & the wiff went over in her little automobile, we declined to take the bike as it was going to be nasty. I was thinking it wasn't as bad as I'd thought but I was pointing out to wifey the corners that would be windy. Only in isolated exposed areas.

On the last one I said would be the last bad one, a car in front of us was seemingly picked up & spun around & almost progressed right into the other lane as at right angle. OK it was wet & teenage boy didn't turn into the slide. But he had been going verry slow. I did wonder what would have happened if we were on the bike & I thought I'd ridden up there in some dreadful winds.

We were told it was closed as we left Masterton so went via the Paitua track. It was just fine on the track itself but had been pretty damn windy on Mast side. Then the rain absolutely chucked down combined with wind. It did get to the point where I was quite concerned. I was ok, but what about the people coming the other way. How well could they see?

[gw555]

Well I live up that way (toward the bottom of the Rimutakas) and would say that is the worst wind we have ever had. I certainly wasnt going out in it and I ride every day except Saturday 110807.