Soil moisture levels are likely to increase along the West Coast and in parts of the lower South Island during the next week, while most other areas will see little change.

In the South Island, soil moisture levels decreased in most locations during the past week as rainfall was generally below normal and above to well above average temperatures were commonplace.

NIWA forecaster Ben Noll says much warmer than average temperatures will spill onto the South Island on Saturday, and continue on Sunday and Monday.The heat will peak in the North Island on Sunday and Monday, but above average temperatures are likely to persist for much of the first 10 days of the month.

Hotspots in the North Island are currently found in Aupouri Peninsula, interior Manawatu-Whanganui, and interior Hawke’s Bay. In the South Island, only subtle soil moisture changes were observed in the past week.

Increasing chances for showers or rain in the North Island, except the east, showery and cooler in the South Island. Rain or showers likely continuing in the North Island, improving conditions in the South Island.

However, hotspots remain in place across western Northland and Aupouri Peninsula, a small portion of central Waikato, southern Manawatu-Whanganui, and much of Wairarapa and southern Hawke’s Bay. In the South Island, soil moisture levels generally did not change significantly in the past week.

Outlook and Soil Moisture A slow-moving weather pattern with moist, northerly air flows near New Zealand will most likely cause normal or above normal rainfall across the central and northern South Island and western North Island over the next week.

Across the South Island, soil moisture levels decreased during the past week with meagre rainfall in the north and east.

Across the South Island, soil moisture levels generally decreased in northern areas, although small improvements were observed in interior Otago, Southland, and Stewart Island.

Across the South Island, soil moisture levels generally decreased slightly in most locations, although small improvements were observed in Tasman and Buller District during the past week.

The driest soils in the North Island compared to normal are currently found in the eastern Far North District, around New Plymouth, and coastal Horowhenua. Across the South Island, soil moisture levels generally increased in Southland and the lower West Coast and remained constant or slightly decreased elsewhere.

Across the South Island, soil moisture levels generally did not change substantially in northern areas this past week, but soils in central and southern areas continued to get much wetter than normal thanks to more heavy rainfall in recent days.

Although flooding is likely in the West Coast due to the upcoming heavy rainfall, this will also mean significant increases in soil moisture levels across much of the South Island during the next week.

Parts of Queenstown-Lakes District in Otago, the Grey and Buller Districts in the West Coast, northeastern Marlborough, and the Waimate District in southern Canterbury experience well below average rainfall for this time of year, while the rest of the island had near normal rainfall.

But Lochbaum points out that history proves such preparation might not be enough.In its 2012 post-Fukushima review, Florida Power & Light told the NRC that flood protections at its St. Lucie plant on South Hutchinson Island were adequate, despite failing to discover six electrical conduits with missing seals in one of the emergency core cooling systems.

The typhoon is coming at the start of the corn and rice harvest, and farmers were urged to bring in as much of their crops as they could to minimize the damage.President Rodrigo Duterte summoned his cabinet to an emergency session Thursday afternoon to plot strategy for dealing with the incoming storm, which is called Ompong in the Philippines.Current forecasts show the typhoon on a track to start lashing the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains Friday, with the eye passing over northern Luzon Saturday, drenching areas as far south on the island as Manila, the capital.It was then on track to hit densely populated Guangdong Province in China and possibly Hong Kong.