Wedding Weather With Russell Voice of CWU
Russell Voice and his bride, Phoebe, who married at Amuri Estate in Hanmer Springs.
Selecting the perfect day to tie the knot can be a nerve-wracking task for many couples, but when you are Canterbury’s premier weatherman there is a bit more pressure to get it right. And that is exactly how Canterbury Weather Updates weather analyst Russell Voice felt last month when he married his beautiful bride Phoebe at Amuri Estate in Hanmer Springs.
words: Michelle McCullough images: Sarah Clements Photography
“I was pretty nervous, not about getting married but just about the day. I was looking pretty intensely at the forecast leading up to it, and while it was going to be sunny and warm, there was a chance of thunderstorms at around three o’clock, so I was looking at the rain radar, hoping nothing would bubble up.”
“You can’t control the weather but [at the wedding] I was still watching the clouds and watching the sky change and hoping it stayed away.”
Thankfully the thunderstorms did not appear, and the couple were able to enjoy their outdoor wedding as planned.
“We had the ideal conditions, it played out all right. February is usually the most settled time of the year, and it’s usually the best month in Canterbury, and New Zealand to have a wedding because there’s a higher chance of having a good day. Having said that, the February we have just had has been very unsettled, especially in the North Island.”
“We got lucky really because the week after the wedding it rained for four days straight; just constant rain.”
Despite attending the University of Canterbury and studying to be teachers at the same time more than a decade ago, the couple did not meet until 2016. The couple had their first date at Terra Viva Cafe in Christchurch where Russell impressed the primary school teacher with his knowledge of weather.
“I got talking about the weather pretty early on. Pheebs hadn’t even heard of CWU, despite it being popular even back then. So, I spent some time explaining what we do and how and now she even helps me edit some of my content.”
While Phoebe is relatively new to the world of forecasting, growing up on the Kaikoura Peninsula Russell’s interest in weather started early. “Kaikoura is the most amazing place to watch the weather unfold and develop with the mountains and the sea. I remember between the age of seven and nine I would bike up to the lookout and watch the southerly front roll in, with the rain and the snow then bike back and report to my parents.”
Since then, the keen outdoorsman has built on his knowledge and honed his skills as a forecaster while working as a physical education teacher. He launched Canterbury Weather Updates in 2013, and what started as a simple Facebook page has developed into a full-time business.
“I look at a lot of maps, and computer models from Europe and the US, and from there I look for trends and consistency. When you have trends, and consistencies amongst more models you get a higher degree of confidence in what you’re saying – that’s what weather forecasting is.”
Today, CWU is one of the region’s most trusted brands, with users from Waimate to Kaikoura flooding to the site daily to check the forecast. “We use all of the same stuff as MetService, and all the same models. The point of difference about what I do is that it is more personalised weather information. When [other services] generate a forecast it’s just a generic forecast, it hasn’t been moderated, or tailored towards that place. I personalise it and give it more detail.”
As for the future, Russell plans to enjoy married life, and expand his business with the introduction of CWU TV.
