Atmospheric analysis

Moturiki Island sea levels

Lyttelton sea levels

Little Kaiteriteri sea levels

Jackson Bay sea levels

Data source – NIWA
Latest data The upper plot compares raw data (blue) and forecast tide (red). When the two curves are aligned there is no storm surge, which is the elevation or depression of sea level as a result of meteorological conditions. But if the raw data lie above or below the forecast tide, it means we have positive or negative storm surge. The lower plot compares storm surge (SS) with inverted barometer (IB), which is derived from atmospheric pressure. When the two curves are aligned it means that the storm surge is being driven by local pressure changes.

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If you have any comments or queries you’d like to make about Cam-Era, please contact the Cam-Era Team [ [email protected] ].
Links
Other web camera sites in New Zealand include:
www.surf.co.nz
www.windsurf.co.nz
Cam-Era images help beach users to recognise dangerous surf conditions such as high waves and the location of rip currents. More information is available from Water Safety New Zealand.
The Argus project, at the Coastal Imaging Lab at Oregon State University, is where the whole idea of monitoring coastlines using remote video links originated.

Rip currents are approximately shore-normal, seaward-directed jets that originate within the surfzone and broaden outside the breaking region. Velocities exceeding 2 m/s have been measured, so they pose significant dangers to beachgoers, as they can pull even the strongest swimmers into deep water. It is therefore desirable to predict the presence of rips currents to forewarn beachgoers and lifeguards.We explored a method of forecasting rip occurrence from offshore wave forecasts.

Cam-Era consists of a number of remote sites around the coast of New Zealand connected via the internet to NIWA’s servers.

Cam-Era has been developed through collaboration with:
Ministry for the Environment (MfE)
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
Coastal Marine Group, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waikato
Institute of Information Sciences and Technology, Massey University
Environment Waikato
Environment Bay of Plenty
Environment Canterbury
Eastland Port
Westgate Ltd (Port Taranaki)
Taranaki District Council
Tourism Taranaki
Taranaki Polytechnic
WEBCAM New Zealand
Port of Greymouth

Computer-controlled video cameras monitor the environment (for data collection and research) while simultaneously providing images for beach-goers, such as surfers and swimmers.

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