NZ Historic Weather Events Catalog

July 2008 North Island Weather Bomb ( 2008-07-26 )

The first storm of three in a one-week period. A deep low brought high winds, seas and rainfall to the upper North Island, causing widespread power cuts along with flooding and damage to trees and buildings. Three people were drowned in the Bay of Plenty.

North Island

Multi Hazard at North Island

Duration: 2 days - From the 26th to the 27th of July.

Comment MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 11:28 am 25-Jul-2008: Major storm expected to affect much of the North Island this weekend. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Northland, northern Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taupo, Taihape, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington.

Comment MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:21 pm 25-Jul-2008: Major storm expected to affect much of the North Island this weekend. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Northland, northern Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Gisborne, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taranaki, Taihape, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington.

Comment MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:14 am 26-Jul-2008: Major storm still on track to hit the North Island. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Northland, northern Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Gisborne, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taranaki, Taihape, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington.

Comment MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 9:06 pm 26-Jul-2008: Deep low over Northland moving southeast towards east cape. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Gisborne, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taranaki, Taihape, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for Northland and Auckland.

Comment MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:15 am 27-Jul-2008: Winds and rain continuing to ease as the deep low moves away to the east today. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Gisborne and Hawkes Bay. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty west of Kawerau; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Gisborne, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taranaki, Taihape, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington.

Comment MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:35 pm 27-Jul-2008: Rain eases as deep low moves away. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

Area The storm moved across Cape Reinga in the Far North to hit the Coromandel Peninsula at midnight on the 26th. On the 27th the storm was heading out to sea off the East Cape near Gisborne. The storm struck hardest in the north and west of the North Island.

Cause A low from the sub-tropical waters off the Queensland coast closed in on the North Island on the 26th, deepening rapidly. An east to northeast flow became very strong over most of the island. The existing airmass over the North Island was cold, bringing snow to the central high country. The low moved to the east of the North Island on the 27th, bringing heavy rain and high winds.

Comment It was one of the largest and deepest lows seen in New Zealand for some years, described as the deepest low in 10 years, with air pressure at 959hPa. The storm was fast-moving and was relatively small in size but big in severity.

Comment In Auckland and Waikato, emergency services were stretched to breaking point. The Fire Service had received 1200 weather-related calls by early evening on the 26th. There were about 300 jobs altogether in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.

Insurance Payment Insurance payouts for the storm totalled $26,660,966.

Snow / Ice

Affected Lifeline The Napier-Taihape road was closed due to heavy snow from the 26th to the 28th.

High Wind / Gust

Comment On the 26th there were severe gales in places to the west and south-west of mountain ranges.

Affected Lifeline Power cuts affected places from the Far North to the Bay of Plenty and Taranaki. At the height of the storm on the night of the 26th, about 70,000 households were without power in Northland and Auckland and parts of Waikato. Around 40,000 Powerco customers were affected over the weekend from late morning on the 26th, in Paeroa, the Coromandel, and parts of Taranaki as far south as Patea. More than 1000 North Island customers were still without power on the 28th.

Northland

High Wind / Gust at Northland

Comment The storm made landfall in Northland on the morning of the 26th.

Damage Winds gusts brought down trees and power lines throughout Northland.

Physical Characteristic Winds gusting to 130km/hr were reported in Northland.

Affected Lifeline About 25,000 homes across Northland were without power after falling trees dragged down lines and power poles. At the peak of the storm on the 26th, Top Energy had had 14,000 Far North customers without electricity, in places including Te Hapua, Te Kao, Panguru, Russell and Opononi. Northpower had 11,000 customers without power in the Whangarei and Kaipara districts. The winds were stopping crews from repairing faults on overhead lines and clearing trees from lines because of the risk to the workers' safety. More than 400 people were still without power on the 28th.

Affected Lifeline Power cuts caused minor spills at sewage treatment plants at Ahipara and Kerikeri, where sucker trucks and generators were put into action.

Flooding

Affected Lifeline There was widespread flooding on low-lying coastal areas. Ngunguru Rd was closed by flooding, as were many other roads around Onerahi, Parua Bay and Ruakaka.

Damage There were several major underslips on roads that would be expensive to repair.

Multi Hazard

Affected Lifeline A number of roads in the Whangarei district were closed because of flooding and fallen trees. SH12 was closed at Taheke, Opononi and Oue.

Crop Damage The winds and rain battered avocado orchards in the Whangarei district. It was reported that about 30 of the 200 growers at Kamo, Glenbervie, Maungatapere, Whatitiri and Maungakaramea had lost 20-50 per cent of their crops through wind blowing fruit from trees, and similar damage had been inflicted on orchards at Mangawhai.

Heavy Rain

Physical Characteristic Northland had up to 140 mm (14 cm) of rain during the storm.

Physical Characteristic In the eastern hills from Kaeo to Whangarei Heads, up to 115 mm (11.5 cm) of rain was recorded from midnight to 2.30pm on the 26th.

Maritime / Coastal

Comment The very low air pressure allowed tides to rise just over half a metre above normal levels in some places.

High Wind / Gust at Bay of Islands

Physical Characteristic A top wind speed of 167 km/hr was recorded in the Bay of Islands about midday on the 26th.

High Wind / Gust at Bream Bay

Affected Lifeline Power cuts disrupted operations at all freshwater treatment plants in the Bream Bay area. Members of the public were asked to conserve water.

High Wind / Gust at Cape Brett

Physical Characteristic Wind gusts of up to 165 km/hr were recorded before midday on the 26th at Cape Brett.

Maritime / Coastal

Damage A landing leading to the historic Cape Brett Lighthouse was severely damaged by the winter's storms. DoC Bay of Islands historic ranger Andrew Blanshard said, "It looks as if the huge easterly swells have funnelled up under the structure and blown out the concrete platform."

High Wind / Gust at Cape Reinga

Physical Characteristic On the morning of the 26th winds had already reached 150 km/hr at Cape Reinga.

Peak Wind Speed Cape Reinga was buffeted by a gust of 174 km/hr on the 26th - its fourth strongest wind gust on record.

Maritime / Coastal at Coopers Beach

Comment Waves pounded the normally calm and tranquil Coopers Beach, crashing on to SH10.

Flooding at Hikurangi Swamp

Comment Floodwaters were still clearing from some areas on the 29th, including the Hikurangi swamp.

Flooding at Kaeo

Affected Lifeline SH10, the main road through Kaeo, was closed due to flooding on the 27th.

Damage Kaeo was submerged on the 26th, but the damage was nowhere as bad as the 2007 floods. The river knocked fences over and they were piled up with logs.

Physical Characteristic There was some flooding around low-lying Dip and Omanu Roads, with about 1 m of water.

Heavy Rain at Kaitaia

Physical Characteristic Kaitaia received 81.8 mm (8.2 cm) of rain over the 48 hours to 9am on the 27th.

High Wind / Gust at Kawakawa

Affected Lifeline The hospital at Kawakawa was operating on an emergency generator.

High Wind / Gust at Kerikeri

Damage A large redwood came crashing down near Kerikeri New World.

Heavy Rain

Physical Characteristic 70 mm (7 cm) of rain was recorded in Kerikeri on the morning of the 26th.

Comment The Kerikeri River was swollen at the Stone Store Basin.

Landslide at Mangamuka Gorge

Affected Lifeline SH1 was closed by a slip at Mangamuka Gorge and traffic was held up for some four hours.

Maritime / Coastal at Marsden Point

Damage Logs posed a navigation hazard after a log ship, Royal Forest, sustained damage and lost logs in stormy seas at the weekend. The ship was forced to return to Port Marsden.

Flooding at Maungatapere

Comment Surface flooding plagued a section of SH14 near Maungatapere.

Multi Hazard at McLeod Bay

Damage Fierce winds lifted the roof of a McLeod Bay home at 11.30am on the 26th and smashed it into neighbouring houses and garages before coming to rest in a paddock. Heavy rain wrecked what was left of the belongings he couldn't save. The lounge, washing machine, fridge and bed were all destroyed. The house was likely to take six months to make it livable again.

Flooding at Ngawha

Comment Surface flooding was reported on SH12 at Ngawha.

High Wind / Gust at Omapere

Damage Roofs were lifted from at least four houses in Omapere on the 26th.

Maritime / Coastal at Paihia

Affected Lifeline SH11 at Paihia was closed as waves washed rocks and debris onto the road on the afternoon of the 26th.

Flooding at Panguru

Impact Some 35 people sought shelter at Panguru's Waipuna Marae as a precaution, although the river did not burst its banks.

Physical Characteristic One witness reported water up to letterbox-level.

Affected Lifeline Some roads in Panguru were still flooded on the 29th, limiting access to the coast.

Flooding at Rangiahua

Affected Lifeline SH1 was closed by flooding at Rangiahua Bridge.

High Wind / Gust at Rawene

Damage A bach at Rawene lost part of its roof and a large black water tank was found after taking flight from an unknown destination.

Maritime / Coastal at Russell

Comment The storm came right to the doorstep of a waterfront Four Square in Russell.

Flooding at Taheke

Affected Lifeline SH12 at Taheke in the Far North was affected by flooding on the 26th. Cars were trapped in the floodwaters near Rakauwahia Road.

High Wind / Gust at Tutukaka

Damage At the Pacific Rendezvous resort, 29km from Whangarei, the roof of a luxury unit was lifted in winds gusting at 140 km/hr. At 5pm the barometer was "off the scale" and ranch slider door frames were blown in and spoutings and gutterings ripped off external walls.

Multi Hazard

Comment Tutukaka Coastguard duty skipper Colin Brickell said the wind and rain were the worst he had seen since Cyclone Bola 20 years ago.

Flooding at Whangarei

Affected Lifeline Civil Defence urged people to leave Whangarei's central business district from around 1:30pm on the 26th due to concern about surface flooding combining with the high tide. The Raumanga Stream burst its banks at Commerce St, and several central city streets were knee-deep in water and cordoned off by emergency services. Part of the Town Basin was under water, as were the Dent St ends of Rathbone, James, John and Carruth streets in the central city. Shops throughout the CBD and at Okara Park closed early.

Damage Damage to Ray White Real Estate on Rathbone St was worse than in the 2007 flood, with water through the reception and in the sales area. Some businesses had blocked their entrances with sandbags.

High Wind / Gust

Damage A series of severe wind gusts in the Port Rd area left a tangle of metal roofing hanging from live power lines, toppled shipping containers, and flattened the fence around Okara Park stadium.

Physical Characteristic In exposed areas around Whangarei, gusts reached almost 100 km/hr on the 26th.

Heavy Rain

Physical Characteristic Whangarei recorded 45 mm (4.5 cm) of rain on the morning of the 26th.

Physical Characteristic Whangarei recorded 124 mm (12.4 cm) of rain on the 26th.

Maritime / Coastal

Comment The extreme low pressure lifted the high tide half a metre above normal.

Multi Hazard at Whangarei Harbour

Affected Lifeline The Whangarei Harbour was off limits due a number of sewage spills caused by power cuts and rainwater inundating the sewage system in the weekend. People were warned not to swim in the harbour for the next week and not to eat shellfish for the next 28 days. Sewage spilt at Okara Park, Onerahi, Hatea, Kissing Point, Riverside and Lime Burners Creek.

High Wind / Gust at Whangaroa

Affected Lifeline Power cuts affected Whangaroa and Tauranga Bay for most of the day.

High Wind / Gust at Whatitiri

Crop Damage A Whatatiri avocado grower lost about half the fruit on his 850 trees in swirling easterly winds at the weekend.

Auckland

Heavy Rain at Auckland

Comment Heavy rain was falling in Auckland by mid-morning.

Impact Auckland had rain every weekend in July, washing out and cancelling hundreds of rugby, soccer and hockey games. This weekend the Auckland Hockey Association cancelled games for the first time in five years.

High Wind / Gust

Affected Lifeline High winds caused a number of faults to power cables and brought down power lines in Auckland, cutting power to 60,000 customers on the 26th. 53,000 homes in Rodney, Waitakere and the North Shore were without power and there were 7000 without power in Howick, Otara, Clevedon, Mangere and parts of Waiheke Island.

Impact More than 35 vessels broke their moorings off Auckland. Debris, including roofing iron, roadwork barriers and road signs, fallen trees and power lines were blown on to roads.

Physical Characteristic Winds in Auckland peaked at 4pm on the 26th, when the MetService recorded average speeds of 96km/h, gusting to 130km/h.

Multi Hazard

Affected Lifeline On the North Shore, a number of hot water pilot lines were extensively damaged by the storm. Affected areas included Narrowneck, Devonport to Hauraki Corner, and parts of Puhoi and Coatesville. About 1500 customers on the Vector network were without hot water. Dozens of residents were still without hot water on the 1st August, a week after the severe weather damaged power supplies. Vector estimated 40 to 50 homes were still without their supply.

High Wind / Gust at Auckland City

Impact The SkyTower was closed at 2:30pm on the 26th because the spire was swaying too much. About 500 people had restaurant reservations cancelled.

Multi Hazard at Auckland Harbour Bridge

Affected Lifeline The speed limit on the Auckland Harbour Bridge was reduced to 60 km/hr and motorcycles were banned due to high winds on the 26th. Lanes onto the bridge were also closed by whipped up waves.

High Wind / Gust

Physical Characteristic Gusts on the bridge were clocked at up to 135 km/hr and were "pushing" cars around.

High Wind / Gust at Auckland International Airport

Affected Lifeline Auckland Airport cancelled flights to Whangarei, Kaitaia, the Bay of Islands, Gisborne, Palmerston North and New Plymouth. Five domestic arrivals and four departing flights were cancelled.

Maritime / Coastal at Castor Bay

Impact A dolphin was stranded at Castor Bay beach during the storm.

High Wind / Gust at Hauraki Gulf

Physical Characteristic Winds gusted to 120 km/hr in the Hauraki Gulf on the 26th.

Heavy Rain at Makarau

Physical Characteristic At the Makarau monitoring station, up to 100 mm (10 cm) of rain was recorded in the 18 hours to midnight on the 26th.

Multi Hazard at Mission Bay

Affected Lifeline Tamaki Drive along the Auckland waterfront was closed on the 26th due to massive waves.

Maritime / Coastal at Northcote

Damage A yacht anchored at Northcote had its mooring snapped in high winds and was bashed against the Auckland Harbour Bridge and holed.

High Wind / Gust at Otara

Damage Roofing iron was blown from houses in Otara onto the southern motorway.

High Wind / Gust at Waiheke Island

Damage On Waiheke Island, the fire brigade responded to eight calls. A roof was torn off in Calais Tce, trees were brought down across roads and a power pole in Pacific Parade snapped, bringing lines down. A tree also fell on the conservatory of a house in Bay Rd and part of a large window was blown in at St Peter’s Church in Oneroa. In Taraire St, three 30 metre-tall macrocarpa trees came down in a particularly fierce gust, damaging a neighbouring house. One tree sideswiped the house and smashed the lounge window, the second tree hit a corner of the roof, crushing the deck, and the third crashed onto the water tank and cracked the septic tank. The house was declared uninhabitable.

Affected Lifeline At 3pm on the 26th power was cut to much of Waiheke Island. More than 1400 Waiheke customers were affected by power cuts, which lasted between two and 29 hours.

Maritime / Coastal

Affected Lifeline Fullers Ferries cancelled all services to Waiheke Island at 1:30pm the 26th and did not resume services until 9.30pm.

Damage Two dinghies, one wooden and the other aluminium, at Sandy Bay were smashed to pieces and four others were badly damaged.

High Wind / Gust at Waitemata Harbour

Physical Characteristic Gusts in Auckland Harbour reached 125 km/hr on the 26th.

High Wind / Gust at Warkworth

Affected Lifeline Diversions were in place on SH1 at Warkworth on the 27th because of fallen trees and power lines across the road.

High Wind / Gust at Wellsford

Strong winds blew over a campervan on SH1, south of Wellsford on the 26th. Two people were taken to North Shore hospital with moderate injuries, including leg fractures.

Waikato

High Wind / Gust at Waikato

Impact In the Waikato, trees were blown on to roads, causing minor car crashes. There were about 190 fire crew call-outs in the Waikato.

Flooding

Comment Widespread flooding was reported throughout the Thames-Coromandel district.

High Wind / Gust at Coromandel Peninsula

Affected Lifeline On the Coromandel Peninsula, 20,000 homes lost power on the 26th. Power outages affected Paeroa, Whangamata, Thames Coast, Whitianga and Te Aroha.

Heavy Rain at Golden Cross

Physical Characteristic The Golden Cross rainfall recorder above Waihi received 181 mm (18.1 cm) over 24 hours.

High Wind / Gust at Hauraki Plains

Affected Lifeline Dairy farmers on the Hauraki Plain lost power for more than a day, causing those without generators to miss out on two milkings. 200 households on the Hauraki Plains were still without power on the 28th.

Flooding at Karangahake Gorge

Comment Early warning alarms were triggered as the level of the Ohinemuri River rose in the Karangahake Gorge.

Multi Hazard

Affected Lifeline SH2 through the Karangahake Gorge was closed due to slips and the risk of flooding.

Flooding at Manaia

Comment There was flooding on roads at Manaia on the 26th.

Flooding at Matatoki

Affected Lifeline SH26 was closed south of Thames at Matatoki on the 26th when the Kauaeranga River breached its stop banks by early evening and flooded the highway and due to concerns about incoming tides.

Flooding

Comment There was flooding on roads between Thames and Coromandel and Whangapoua, between Coromandel and Whitianga, and south of Whitianga at Wade Road.

High Wind / Gust at Meremere

Casualties A man (38 years old) died in a house fire in Meremere about 3am on the 27th. He was counted as a storm victim as the fire was started by a candle he was using in the bedroom during a power outage caused by high winds.

Injuries The man's 12-year-old daughter was taken to Middlemore Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Flooding at Paeroa

Impact SH26 into Paeroa was affected by flooding but did not require full closure.

Physical Characteristic Paeroa received 165.8 mm (16.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 26th. This was the highest 24 hour rainfall for July since 1914.

Flooding at Pauanui

Affected Lifeline Paunui was cut off by rising flood waters.

Heavy Rain at The Pinnacles

Peak Rainfall At the Pinnacles, 217 mm (21.7 cm) of rain was recorded over a 24-hour period.

Physical Characteristic Rainfall at The Pinnacles peaked at 32 mm (3.2 cm) an hour during the afternoon of the 26th.

Multi Hazard at Taupo

Physical Characteristic Taupo recorded a maximum temperature of 6 degC on the 26th.

High Wind / Gust at Te Aroha

Damage Te Aroha took a hammering on the night of the 26th. The Te Aroha fire station received 74 call-outs on the night of the 26th and continued to receive them as people found damage to their property. Roofs, chimneys and sheds were damaged and windows were blown out in many buildings, including the hospital and council offices. 12 house roofs had either lifted or blown off completely. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or damaged, up to 60 at the golf course alone, and concrete power poles were flattened.

Impact The golf course would be closed for at least a week to clear the fallen trees, including huge pines and macrocarpas.

Affected Lifeline Much of Te Aroha was in darkness on the night of the 26th due to downed power lines.

Impact Residents of eight houses were forced to evacuate their homes after roofs flew off.

Comment The storm brought the worst winds to hit the area in 30 years. Firefighters believed the storm was worse than one in 1978 which destroyed the town's movie theatre.

Heavy Rain

Physical Characteristic The Te Aroha rainfall recorder received 76 mm (7.6 cm) over 24 hours.

Physical Characteristic Te Aroha received 98 mm (9.8 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 6am on the 28th.

Flooding

Comment The Waihou River was above a second early warning level at Te Aroha on the 27th.

High Wind / Gust at Te Mata

Impact At Te Mata, wind hurled a trampoline 12m up into a macrocarpa tree where it became stuck.

Flooding at Thames

Affected Lifeline SH25 into Thames was closed after the Kauaeranga River flooded the highway.

Peak River Level The Kauaeranga River near Thames climbed four metres to a peak of 10.8m - its highest level in at least a decade.

High Wind / Gust at Waikino

Affected Lifeline SH2 at Waikino was also closed due to fallen trees on the 26th and 27th.

Heavy Rain at Waingaro

Physical Characteristic Waingaro received 23.5 mm (2.4 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 6am on the 28th.

Bay of Plenty

Maritime / Coastal at Haurere Point

Casualties Two fishermen were killed when their fishing vessel, the San Cuvier, was swept into rocks 11 km east of Opotiki at about 3:30am on the 27th. The crew had tried to launch the liferaft but only two men made it to safety. An eyewitness living at Haurere Pt said the men were trying to take their boat out again after coming ashore to shelter from the storm. A nearby resident thought the waves would have been in excess of 20 feet tall, with a dangerous force behind them.

Injuries The other two fishermen from the San Cuvier were rescued after having clung to a cliff face for several hours as they were pounded by the surf. They became very cut, scratched and bruised and were treated for hypothermia.

Maritime / Coastal at Mount Maunganui

Casualties A man (33 years old) drowned after falling off his outrigger canoe on the afternoon of the 26th off the coast of Mt Maunganui. It was at a point 500m off Moturiki Island just before 5pm and conditions were horrendous. He was part of a group of four paddlers who had left Maketu bound for Pilot Bay in Tauranga Harbour. The survivors described the water as full of trees and bits of debris taken out to sea by the storm.

Physical Characteristic Off Mt Maunganui there were swells of 6-7 m.

High Wind / Gust

Physical Characteristic Off Mt Maunganui there were 60-knot (111-km/hr) winds.

High Wind / Gust at Rotorua

Physical Characteristic Rotorua had wind gusts of 70 km/hr - the highest wind gusts they had had in Rotorua for many years.

Gisborne

Multi Hazard at Gisborne

Comment Gisborne was largely unaffected by the weather bomb, as the centre of the deep low passed right over the district, but the turbulent winds and rain-laden edges of the storm passed on either side. Rivers rose only to normal winter storm levels.

Physical Characteristic At 8am on the 27th, the barometric pressure dropped to 970 millibars, its lowest level for about five years.

Heavy Rain

Physical Characteristic The heaviest rain was at the top of East Cape, and from Mangapoike and the Whareratas south, with falls of over 100mm (10 cm) in those areas.

Maritime / Coastal at Gisborne city

Impact The swell shifted large amounts of sand away from the Stock route area at Wainui beach.

Maritime / Coastal at Hicks Bay

Physical Characteristic The swell got up to three metres at Hicks Bay.

Multi Hazard at Te Araroa

Physical Characteristic New instrumentation at Te Araroa recorded the barometric pressure of the depression at 960 millibars.

Heavy Rain

Physical Characteristic Gisborne and the Poverty Bay Flats had between 50 and 60 mm (5-6 cm) of rain on the 26th and 27th.

Hawke's Bay

Multi Hazard at Hawke's Bay

Comment The Hawke's Bay region copped only the edges of the storm.

Affected Lifeline Heavy overnight rain and slips closed SH2 between Napier and Wairoa on the 27th.

Impact Organisers were forced to cancel the second day of the Rally of Hawkes Bay on the 27th due to the highway closure.

Maritime / Coastal at Clifton

Damage The Clifton Motor Camp lost more of its land when established pohutukawa trees and 2m of coast was washed away when high tide came in on the 27th. The camp had been facing severe erosion problems all year and had lost 12m of campground so far.

High Wind / Gust at Havelock North

Affected Lifeline Wind knocked a large tree across Middle Rd overnight on the 26th, blocking the road for about an hour.

Multi Hazard at Tahaenui

Affected Lifeline A tanker overturned in treacherous weather at about 11.50am on the 27th on the Nuhaka side of the narrow, two-lane Tahaenui Bridge. The main road between Wairoa and Gisborne was closed for more than four hours, not reopening until after 4pm, and about 6000 litres of milk was lost.

Injuries The driver of the tanker received cuts, abrasions and a broken finger and was taken by a motorist to Wairoa Hospital.

Heavy Rain at Tareha homestead

Physical Characteristic A farm at Kaiwaka Rd, north of Napier, had 116 mm (11.6 cm) of rain fall on the 27th.

Landslide at Tutira

Affected Lifeline SH2 at Tutira was closed because of slips affecting the north and southbound lanes on the 27th.

Heavy Rain at Waipoapoa homestead

Physical Characteristic Waipoapoa recorded 168 mm (16.8 cm) of rain on the 27th.

Taranaki

High Wind / Gust at Taranaki

Affected Lifeline About 2000 Taranaki residents were without power at various times from 1pm on the 26th. Lines went down around Inglewood, Rahotu, Patea, Pembroke Rd, Stratford and in Brooklands in New Plymouth. All power was restored by 3.30pm on the 27th.

Comment Taranaki received the south-easterly winds from the night of the 26th through to early on the 27th.

Tornado at Makahu

Damage A Makahu farmer returned home on the afternoon of the 27th to find the back roof and walls of his haybarn lying in a swamp 70 metres away. He suspected a mini tornado had done the damage.

High Wind / Gust at New Plymouth

Damage The New Plymouth Fire Brigade was called out to about a dozen incidents for minor damage caused by the strong winds. Sheds were blown over, trees blocked roads and awnings were wrecked.

Physical Characteristic At its peak after midnight, wind gusts registered 50 knots (93 km/h) at the New Plymouth airport.

Manawatu-Wanganui

Snow / Ice at Desert Road

Affected Lifeline The Desert Road was closed at 1:30pm on the 26th due to heavy snow. It had reopened by the afternoon of the 27th.

Multi Hazard at Mt Ruapehu

Impact The Mt Ruapehu skifields were closed at 10:30am on the 26th after the storm hit. They remained closed on the 27th with blizzard-like conditions but reopened on the 28th.

Evacuees About 2000 skiers were evacuated from Mt Ruapehu after the storm hit suddenly with wind and rain at 10:30am on the 26th. Most of the 10,000 skiers there had left before the skifield was closed. Skifield staff spent 12 hours guiding skiers down the slopes and working from carpark to carpark leading cars down the mountain in groups of five. 100 vehicles were left in carparks at Whakapapa overnight.

High Wind / Gust

Peak Wind Speed Winds gusted up to 200 km/hr at Mt Ruapehu.

Multi Hazard at Waiouru

Physical Characteristic Waiouru recorded a maximum temperature of 2 degC on the 26th.

References

Headline: Five killed in weekend's North Island storm.: www.3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 27 July 2008, 6:16pm.
Headline: Ski fields reopen after weekend storm.: www.3news.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 28 July 2008, 9:57am.
Headline: The tragedy of young lives lost at sea.: www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz, 29 July 2008.
Headline: Two men drown in high seas.: www.dailypost.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Rotorua paddler killed in storm.: www.dailypost.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: 'Bomb' explodes over north, this district OK.: www.gisborneherald.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Don't put the raincoats away yet.: www.gisborneherald.co.nz, 29 July 2008.
Headline: Wild weather skirts Bay.: www.hbtoday.co.nz, Source: Hawke's Bay Today, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Road blocked as tanker overturns.: www.hbtoday.co.nz, Source: Hawke's Bay Today, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Bay soaked.: www.hbtoday.co.nz, Source: Hawke's Bay Today, 31 July 2008.
Headline: Storm cost $46m.: Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 January 2009.
Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.). (2008). Climate summary for Winter 2008. Newsletter 114, September 2008. 9-10
Headline: Storm set to peak at midnight.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 11:08am.
Headline: Central Whangarei evacuated.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 2:00pm.
Headline: Storm pounds the north.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 4:08pm.
Headline: 35,000 homes without electricity.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 5:16pm.
Headline: More homes without electricity.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 6:20pm.
Headline: Coromandel storm chaos.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 6:56pm.
Headline: Power could take days.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 9:04pm.
Headline: Te Aroha hit by storm.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 9:16pm.
Headline: Storm causes road problems.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 6:04am.
Headline: Thousands of homes still without power.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 6:16am.
Headline: Storm caused less damage than expected.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 28 July 2008, 4:44pm.
Headline: Te Aroha clean up begins.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 28 July 2008, 10:20am.
Headline: Power expected to be restored today.: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 28 July 2008, 3:20pm.
Headline: Weekend seas were "minefield".: www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 29 July 2008, 8:28am.
Headline: Deepest low in a decade - Storm's trail of destruction.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Kaeo goes under flood waters again.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Gales cut power to 25,000 homes.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Joyriders make waves.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Storms blast growers' profits.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 29 July 2008.
Headline: Power slowly returning to the people.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 29 July 2008.
Headline: Logs lost in high seas will pose risk to boats.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 30 July 2008.
Headline: Man's home wrecked by gale.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 1 August 2008.
Headline: Mysterious object sighted in sky.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 5 August 2008.
Headline: Storms played havoc at historic lighthouse.: www.northernadvocate.co.nz, 25 September 2008.
Headline: A wild weekend wreaks havoc: northnz.co.nz, 31 July 2008.
Headline: Intense sub-tropical storm hits North Island.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and NZPA, 26 July 2008, 9:44am.
Headline: Once-in-decade storm cuts power, closes roads.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and NZPA, 26 July 2008, 4:37pm.
Headline: Thousands without power, roads closed as storm batters NI.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and NZPA, 26 July 2008, 7:00pm.
Headline: Canoeist missing as storm rages.: www.nzherald.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 5:00am.
Headline: Yacht gets bashed.: www.nzherald.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 5:00am.
Headline: Canoeist dies during worst storm in decade.: www.nzherald.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 3:21pm.
Headline: Investigators try to find cause of fatal boat crash.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 27 July 2008, 3:31pm.
Headline: They sought shelter but the sea took them.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB, 28 July 2008, 5:00am.
Headline: Motorsport: Heavy rain and slips cancel Hawkes Bay Rally's second day.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 28 July 2008, 5:00am.
Headline: MetService issues new severe weather warning.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 28 July 2008, 12:21pm.
Headline: North Island set for flooding and slips.: www.nzherald.co.nz, 29 July 2008, 5:00am.
Headline: Stay home warning as storm powers up.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and NZPA, 30 July 2008, 5:00am.
Headline: Insurance costs spiral as third storm nears.: www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB, 2 August 2008, 12:51pm.
Headline: Severe storm hits North Island, cuts power.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 12:53pm.
Headline: Storm lashes Whangarei, 'blizzard' conditions further south.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 2:07pm.
Headline: Severe storm continues to batter upper North Island.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 4:30pm.
Headline: Severe storm batters upper North Island.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 8:23pm.
Headline: Canoeist missing in North Island storm.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 8:02am.
Headline: Farmers challenged by weather related power cuts.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 7:54pm.
Headline: Some households still without power after storm.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 28 July 2008, 7:55am.
Headline: Some households still without power after storm.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 28 July 2008, 12:54pm.
Headline: Storm may linger - MetService.: www.radio.nz.co.nz, 29 July 2008, 8:41am.
Headline: Slips, road closures as stormy weather returns.: www.radionz.co.nz, 4 August 2008, 7:42am.
Headline: Flood warning systems cope well with downpours.: www.scoop.co.nz, Source: Environment Waikato, 27 July 2008, 4:30pm.
Headline: Worst Of Rain Over, But River, Tide Watch Urged.: www.scoop.co.nz, Source: Northland Regional Council, 27 July 2008, 5:04pm.
Headline: Storm sweeps country: Skiers evacuated.: www.stuff.co.nz, 26 July 2008.
Headline: Whangarei CBD closed as storm rages.: www.stuff.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 3:00pm.
Headline: Northland cops it as storm sweeps island.: www.stuff.co.nz, 26 July 2008, 7:04pm.
Headline: Paddler missing in violent weather.: www.stuff.co.nz, 27 July 2008.
Headline: Missing canoeist found dead in Bay of Plenty.: www.stuff.co.nz, 27 July 2008.
Headline: No ordinary storm.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Sunday News, 27 July 2008.
Headline: Wet and wild weather - and there's more to come.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Sunday Star Times, 27 July 2008.
Headline: After the storm, another one.: www.stuff.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Flood warning: Stock up on food and water.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: NZPA and Whangarei Leader, 29 July 2008, 11:48am.
Headline: Three die in stormy seas.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Skiers scurry as storm rages over Ruapehu.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Batten down the hatches, another storm's on its way.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Ripper storm leaves trail of destruction.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Roofs fly as storm hits Te Aroha.: www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Ruapehu skifields cleared.: www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz, 28 July 2008.
Headline: Nature's double whammy.: www.times.co.nz, Source: Howick and Pakuranga Times, 31 July 2008.
Headline: Weather bomb hammers Auckland.: tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 26 July 2008, 6:43pm.
Headline: Northland battered by storm.: tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 26 July 2008, 6:48pm.
Headline: Ferocious storm moves east.: tvnz.co.nz, 27 July 2008, 3:59pm.
Headline: Wild weekend weather claims lives.: tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 27 July 2008, 8:03pm.
Headline: Batten down for second storm.: tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 28 July 2008, 6:30am.
Headline: Weather warnings for Nth island centre.: tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 2 August 2008, 10:08am.
Headline: Storm lashed but overall we fared well.: www.waihekegulfnews.co.nz, 31 July 2008.
Headline: Storm leaves family homeless.: www.waihekegulfnews.co.nz, 7 August 2008.
MetService Email Lists
Insurance Council of New Zealand (www.icnz.org.nz/current/weather)