Climate Change – More Wind & Rain

No Longer a Debate

As a child a teacher explained in quite simple terms, using a pot of boiling water, how human activity on a global scale, causes precipitation. I understood it back then I still understand the principal of it. Despite the complexity of elements involved in climate change, the lid, our atmosphere held by gravitational pull, still responds to heated water becoming gaseous, then falling to earth, by the formation of precipitation. For normal weather patterns it holds, for extreme rivers of rain it still holds.

There is nothing that is presented to me, by any who are sceptical of climate change, which overcomes what my teacher explained to me all those decades ago.

Heavy Rain Causes Slip

Mount Maunganui Landslide Thursday January 22, 2026, approximately 930am

 What Happened After Days of Wind and Rain

The recent landslide at Mount Maunganui has become one of the most devastating natural disasters in the Bay of Plenty in years, triggering a major rescue and recovery operation and drawing national attention to the risks posed by New Zealand’s steep, rain‑soaked landscapes.

The Event

A massive slip tore down the southeastern face of the Mount, crashing directly into the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park. Campervans, tents, cars, hot pools, and a toilet/shower block were engulfed in tonnes of earth and debris. Multiple people were unaccounted for in the immediate aftermath, with emergency crews working through the night to search the site.

Recovery Efforts Halted

Recovery operations were later paused when geotechnical experts identified a new crack in the hillside, raising fears of further collapse. Police described the slope as “unstable” and “unsafe,” stressing that continuing work would be “foolish” and “negligent.” Families of the missing were informed before the pause was announced publicly.

Human Impact

Six people remain unaccounted for, including long‑time campers and two teenagers. Friends and family have gathered at the cordon, leaving flowers and sharing memories of those believed to be buried under the slip. The victims include lifelong friends who camped at the site every summer, as well as young people from Auckland and international visitors.

Why It Happened

The landslide occurred after an intense period of rainfall — more than 200 mm in 24 hours in parts of northern New Zealand — at the tail end of a weak La Niña cycle. Warm sea‑surface temperatures added extra moisture to the atmosphere, fuelling heavier downpours. The slopes already contain scars from ancient landslides, and geotechnical studies have shown layers of loose colluvium beneath the surface, making the area inherently vulnerable.

 What Happens Next

Daily geotechnical assessments are underway to determine when recovery efforts can safely resume. Advanced equipment is being brought in to monitor the hillside and reduce risk to responders. Police have indicated that the operation has shifted from rescue to recovery, a heartbreaking development for families waiting for closure.

The Consensus Is Clear

Climate change is no longer a matter of debate within scientific circles. Among climate scientists, there is overwhelming agreement that the Earth is warming and that human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, is the primary driver. This consensus is not anecdotal; it is backed by decades of rigorous research, global data collection, and peer-reviewed analysis.