DeepWeather project members Greg Bodeker, Mark Schwarz, Tui Warmenhoven and Emily O’Riordan visited several communities in Tairāwhiti at the end of June 2023, a trip that has been rescheduled several times due to extreme weather events in the district. Tairāwhiti has been severely impacted by heavy rainfall events and cyclones over the past few years, and faces a future with more frequent extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.

The purpose of the trip was not only to introduce the DeepWeather project to its end-users, but to seek input as to how this project can be developed to best meet their needs. The team met with the Ruatoria Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) group, of which Tui is a member, to discuss how recent weather events have affected them, both individually and as a community. The hui was the start of a working relationship with the CDEM group, whereby the DeepWeather team will seek to regularly engage with the community to share ideas and knowledge.

The team met with communities that have been particularly impacted by recent weather events, including the residents of Makarika and Anaura Bay. Both communities commented on a lack of communication from decision-makers during extreme weather events, as well as the need for funding to mitigate the impacts of such events. The need for reliable energy sources to prevent power outages was discussed, and the possibility of investigating funding for solar panels and gas was raised. Such conversations will be explored by the DeepWeather team and fed back to government officials in our MBIE reporting.

The trip also included outreach at local schools. The team first attended Tolaga Bay Area School, where students gave their kōrero about recent weather events, and asked questions about the weather, artificial intelligence and science in general. At Ngata Memorial College, an interactive session explained how a warm front moves through the atmosphere, with students acting as grid cells within a weather model. At both schools, the idea to equip volunteering students with their own rain gauges to track local rainfall was raised, allowing students to track rainfall at their house or school and compare with others in the area. This could make for an engaging science project, provide useful data for the DeepWeather project, and possibly kickstart an interest in becoming a weather scientist! 

The DeepWeather team are extremely grateful to the individuals and communities who gave their time to help us understand the current situation and concerns in Tairāwhiti. Special thanks go to Tui Warmenhoven for her mahi in coordinating this hui.