She mentioned that they were informed of insufficient apple production to last through the stormy season. Northland grower Joe Thistlethwaite, who sources his apples from Hawke’s Bay, has also faced difficulties in procuring apples. He thinks that Cyclone Gabrielle and other storms last summer have contributed to this scarcity. Data from New Zealand Apples and Pears showed that nearly half of the crop from Hawke’s Bay region's 150 apple growers was affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. However, Brydon Nisbet, Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers Association president, attributed the apple scarcity more to the end of the season than the cyclone.

The timing of filling the Waimea Dam in New Zealand has been criticized as "inappropriate" by the Waimea Irrigators and Water Users Society. Spokesperson Brian Halstead asserts that businesses still require water in the interim and criticizes the Tasman District Council for not releasing water due to ongoing dam tests. Halstead further argues that filling the dam modifies river flows, potentially accelerating water rationing or bans. Chris Choat, Tasman District Council's communications manager, responded that the dam is currently in the commissioning process and not yet operational as per resource consents. He further explains that the dam is 75% full and that Waimea Water Limited (WWL) is releasing slightly more than the minimum flow into the river, providing benefits to all water users on the Waimea Plains.

In This Story: New YorkNew York is a state in the northeastern U.S., known for New York City and towering Niagara Falls. NYC’s island of Manhattan is home to the Empire State Building, Times Square and Central Park. The Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan with the borough of Brooklyn. The iconic Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor. To the east, Long Island has beaches, the Montauk Lighthouse, the ritzy Hamptons and Fire Island.

The Washington Post’s Rich Matthews explains how two massive snowstorms and extremely cold temperatures could effect turnout for Iowa’s Republican caucus on Monday. Leave a Comment Subscribe in Google NewsAbout This Source - Washington PostThe Washington Post is a major American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area. Daily broadsheet editions are printed for the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Recent from Washington Post:

Government pulls the pin on multi-billion dollar Auckland light rail projectAuckland’s light rail has officially been tossed on the scrap heap by the National-led coalition government. There is a glorious pocket of time in Auckland City when I love it here. After Christmas and until February, Auckland City empties and you got to wander through the lonely streets Quiet Earth styles like Bruno Lawrence. I want to punch the next commentator in the face who comes forward and glibly claims, ‘We can’t afford light rail down Dominion Rd’! Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.

A coroner’s report says he would have had a greater chance of survival if those attempting to rescue him had ready access to a flotation device. It has led to their instalment at the site of his death and prompted a review by Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Tauranga City Council of public rescue equipment. His whānau are proud of the “positive” outcome of his death being more public rescue devices along the coastline. In December, SLSNZ launched New Zealand’s first ever ‘Guide to Public Rescue Equipment for the New Zealand Coast’ . This provides great comfort to Wikeepa’s whānau, says his sister.

MP has remained tight-lipped about a shoplifting allegation, but has stepped aside from her parliamentary portfolios. Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman has returned to New Zealand, having been accused of shoplifting. The party confirmed last week she had stood down from all of her portfolio responsibilities until the matter had been resolved. ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff Golriz Ghahraman was out of the country last week when the allegations against here were made public. A Green Party spokesperson has confirmed to RNZ Ghahraman was back in New Zealand on Monday.

This is literally what it was like in 1998. Now EVERYTHING is on fire, all the time. You might recall 1998 was once the hottest year on record. It held this distinction for several years. Climate change deniers would point to it (starting in 1999) and say that, yeah, ...

Hastings has Lamb flavoured ice creamDo you like the sound of Lamb and mint, honey, figs and fish and chips? Try it as a flavour in ice cream. Reporter Michaela Gower went along to taste test. Video Warren Buckland

Keen for more? Check out a full list of our quizzes, including our wordy brainbuster puzzle, The Hard Word, here. Our Three Strikes trivia test runs at midday on Saturday and Sunday, and our kids quiz runs from 5am every Sunday. Got a good quiz question? Send your questions to quiz@stuff.co.nz.

That's the latest thought from Raelyn Castle, New Zealand's most powerful female sports administrator between two beers This Week's Podcast. We used to do all the same things with women that we did with men, and now female athletes have different strength, conditioning regimes, health regimes and support regimes than male athletes. And yes, it was a perfect storm in many ways: female CEOs versus the greatest players of all time. “It's the same with social media, don't read social media. I have no hair, no eyebrows, and I've faced some pretty horrific social media commentary.

The winning tickets were sold at Clendon Postshop Lotto in Auckland and on MyLotto to players from Waitomo and Tauranga. Meanwhile, 17 lucky players will be enjoying a boost to their bank account after each winning $15,531 with Lotto Second Division. One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $33,158. The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold at West City Lotto in Auckland. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at stores in Wellsford, Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Ōtaki, Wellington and Dunedin City.

By Annemarie Quill ofPhoto: Supplied / StuffLoving father Reon Wikeepa drowned while saving the life of his 16-year-old daughter. A man who leapt in the water to save his daughter and got caught in a rip might have survived if a flotation device was near. Bay of Plenty father Reon Wikeepa, 43, drowned at Moturiki Island, Mount Maunganui, in November 2022 when he lost his battle with the waves after saving his then 16-year-old daughter, Abigail. A coroner's report said he would have had a greater chance of survival if those attempting to rescue him had ready access to a flotation device. This provides great comfort to Wikeepa's whānau, says his sister.

NZ is helping bomb a nation for the rules based order but won’t demand an Israeli ceasefire for the rules based order??? We are helping America target the poorest people on earth to bomb them for the ‘rules based order’, but won’t demand Israel does the same? The Houthi will stop if there is a ceasefire, our efforts should be on the ceasefire and supporting South Africa’s case, instead we are helping target and kill people??? Why is it that allegations from a right wing attack media vehicle of Golriz shoplifting is a more important story than NZ helping America bomb someone??? If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media.

With sweltering temperatures set to continue for most New Zealanders on Saturday, it’s high time to take advantage of the heat, sun and beach visits. It will continue across the North Island on Monday, with a few places set to experience heavy rain. On Saturday, a heavy rain watch is in place for Fiordland from 5pm until 11am on Sunday with periods of heavy rain expected. Westland also has a heavy rain watch in place on Sunday, from 5am through until 11pm, which could approach warning levels around the ranges. And the sudden shift from very high temperatures will make the drop “really noticeable”, with Hastings expecting a Tuesday high of just 20C, down from a weekend high of 30C.