Lately for Thursday 5 December 2019

Photo: RNZ

10:20 Fire and Emergency drone team prepares on the West Coast 

While Metservice is predicting heavy rainfall for the Otago headwaters, Civil Defence on the West Coast has been assessing the risk of West Coast rivers breaching their banks after days of heavy rain.

A drone team from Fire and Emergency has been looking for breaches of river banks monitoring rising river levels as another patch of bad weather is due overnight.

Area Commander and Southern Team Leader for USAR Urban Search and Rescue, Dave Berry, talks with Karyn about their preparations today.

Buller Rain Radar shows heavy rain continuing overnight for the West Coast as Fire and Emergency and Civil Defence prepare. Photo: screenshot

10:30 Millions of workers go on strike in France

France is bracing itself for severe disruption as millions of workers go on strike in protest at being forced to retire later, or face reduced pensions.

School, transport, police, lawyers, hospital and airport staff are participating in a general walkout in France's largest nationwide strike in years.

Karyn speaks with our Europe correspondent Olly Barratt.

Photo: supplied

10:45 The Rest is History - Radio Hauraki 

It's time to dive into the week's news, in the past for The Rest is History. This week our resident historian Robert Kelly is turning on the radio on in 1966 to hear a brand new show! Radio Hauraki first broadcast from a ship called The Tiri. They went on to broadcast from Hauraki gulf until 1970 when they moved onshore.   

Radio Hauraki supporters, 1966 Photo: (NZHerald/newspix.co.nz)