NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
March 2008 New Zealand Storm
(
2008-02-29
)
Heavy rain, flooding, high seas and slips were experienced in various parts of New Zealand. The weather contributed to a number of traffic accidents, one in which two people were killed and one injured in the Manawatu. Two people received minor injureies after a yacht capsized in Northland.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 3 days - From 29th February to 2nd March.
A series of lows moved over the country.
Northland
Multi Hazard
at
Northland
Northland experienced heavy seas, rain and wind on the 3rd and 4th.
Maritime / Coastal
Rough seas saw the coastguard called out three times on the 4th.
Heavy Rain
at
Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga recorded more than 48 mm (4.8 cm) of rain in the 12 hours from midnight on the 1st.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cavalli Islands
A 15-metre ketch off the Cavalli Islands, called the coastguard at 9am after the mast broke and the yacht capsized. However, the yacht righted itself, the mast was cut free and they managed to motor into Whangaroa Harbour without rescuing.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Doubtless Bay
A 100-tonne fishing boat called the coastguard around 3:30am, taking on water after the engines failed. The boat drifted onto Fair Way Reef at the south end of Doubtless Bay. A three-metre swell and gale force south-easterly winds prevented the coastguard from reaching them, and heavy rain, winds, a big swell and darkness prevented the helicopter rescuing them. One of the crew rowed a dinghy to another boat and the other two crew were eventually rescued around 7am before the boat sank.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaikohe
Kaikohe received almost 20 mm (2.0 cm) of rain in the nine hours from 3am on the 1st.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Urupuka Island
Two people received minor injuries after their yacht capsized in rough seas off Urupukapuka Island on the 3rd. They called the Bay of Islands Coastguard for help at 11:40pm, but the sea was too rough for a rescue at the time. When the coastguard returned around 7am the two people were found on the island, cold and with scratches and bruises from scrambling up rocks.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Multi Hazard
at
Himatangi
A car carrying four people lost control and hit a power-pole on State Highway 56 near Himatangi at 1:30am on the 2nd. An 18-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman died at the scene.
One other person involved in the crash was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with serious injuries.
Wellington
Heavy Rain
at
Wellington
Wellington experienced a six-hour downpour on the 1st.
Wellington received up to 50 mm (5.0 cm) of rain.
Heavy rain caused a number of traffic accidents.
Multi Hazard
Surface flooding and slips were reported at a number of locations around the city.
A nose-to-tail crash on State Highway 58 between Hutt Valley and Porirua caused delays in both directions and contributed to another nose-to-tail accident.
Multi Hazard
at
Brooklyn
A cable fault left 200 homes in Brooklyn without power for up to an hour from around 7:15pm on the 1st. The power cut was caused by a car caught in the wet hitting a transformer.
Landslide
at
Houghton Bay
A slip came down on the intersection of Houghton Bay Road and Buckley Road just after 12am on the 1st. It was partially cleared on the 2nd to ensure the area was safe.
Flooding
at
Johnsonville
There was flooding 50 cm deep at the corner of Fraser Ave and Radnall Way in Johnsonville.
Flooding up to 1 m deep was reported in Johnsonville.
Landslide
at
Ngauranga
A slip occurred on State Highway 2 just north of the Ngauranga interchange on the 1st. It was cleared on the 2nd.
There was a three-car crash on the southbound lane of State Highway 2, between Horokiwi and Ngauranga.
Landslide
at
York Bay
A slip on the night of the 1st blocked both lanes of Marine Drive at York Bay, Eastbourne.
Otago
Heavy Rain
at
Otago
Some coastal areas of Otago received up to 70 mm (7.0 cm) of rain on the weekend.
There was almost 48 hours of rain around Otago.
Rain made roads hazardous and several crashes were attributed to people not driving to the conditions.
Rain throughout the South Otago district started on the 29th and eased on the afternoon of the 2nd.
Flooding
The Pomahaka River breached its first flood warning early afternoon on the 2nd.
The Central Otago hydro lakes were boosted, with levels rising between 200-700 mm.
Heavy Rain
at
Dunedin
Dunedin recorded 30 mm (3.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Dunedin had a rainfall intensity of 4 mm/hr (0.4 cm/hr) around midday on the 1st.
The rain started falling at midday on the 1st and continued throughout the night, rarely letting up on the 2nd.
Flooding
Heavy rain caused flooding in Dunedin.
The fire service was called to several properties. Water came up through drains and flooded basement properties, although damage appeared to be limited. Dunedin City Council was inundated with calls from concerned residents.
Multi Hazard
A Dunedin towing company had towed about 17 vehicles since the night of the 29th - most of the crashes caused by either speed, wet conditions or both.
Flooding
at
Kaitangata
At Kaitangata and Milton, there were minor reports of surface flooding, but no significant damage.
Flooding
at
Milton
At Kaitangata and Milton, there were minor reports of surface flooding, but no significant damage.
Flooding
at
Port Chalmers
The Portobello and Port Chalmers areas were especially affected.
Flooding
at
Portobello
The Portobello and Port Chalmers areas were especially affected.
Portobello hall was flooded and an area of road had to be blocked off.
Multi Hazard
at
Waitati
A young man was lucky to be alive after his vehicle flipped five times off State Highway 1, about 3 km south of Waitati, at around 2:30pm on the 2nd.
Southland
Heavy Rain
at
Southland
Most of Southland had 50-100 mm (5.0-10.0 cm) of rain at the weekend.
Heavy rain in the headwaters of Southland rivers prompted flood warnings from Environment Southland on the 2nd.
The Oreti River, Irthing Stream, Makarewa River and Hamilton Burn all posted levels more than 1 m above normal around 5pm on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Clifden
The Waiau River at Clifden was 2.7 m above normal and rising at a rate of 132 mm/h around 5pm on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Colac Bay
Flooding occurred near Colac Bay. A car had to be towed out of the water after getting stuck, then it refused to start.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaweku
Kaweka recorded 73 mm (7.3 cm) of rain at the weekend.
Flooding
at
Sunnyside station
The Waiau River at Sunnyside was 2.49 m above normal but falling at around 5pm on the 2nd.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Anau
A prolonged "cloudburst" hit Te Anau on the night of the 1st.
Local emergency services said it was the most intense downpour in the township in 27 years.
Flooding
Streets were flooded.
The Fire Service helped homeowners and businesses deal with the aftermath of the heavy rain on the night of the 1st. Firefighters were first alerted to flooding at around 8:40pm, with five calls for assistance back-to-back.
Two basement garages and three businesses were flooded. Roofs could not cope with the downpour, and combined with storm water, it left waterlogged carpets. At the Fab and Finesse gift shop in the Town Centre, overflowing spoutings caused water to flow down inside of the walls, causing minor damage.
References
- Headline: Wellington weather havoc.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 2 March 2008.
- Headline: Four winched to safety in rough sea rescues.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 4 March 2008, 12:50pm.
- Headline: Relief as overdue rain falls.
- www.odt.co.nz, Source: Otago Daily Times, 3 March 2008.
- Headline: Power outage, flooding in Wellington.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 1 March 2008.
- Headline: Rain expected to bring relief for parched areas.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 1 March 2008.
- Headline: Heavy rain is expected for southern parts of the South Island on Sunday.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 2 March 2008.
- Headline: Rain causes floods, crashes, but drought remains.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Dominion Post, 3 March 2008.
- Headline: Welcome rain knocks drought.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Southland Times, 3 March 2008.
- Headline: Dunedin drenched by rain.
- tv3.co.nz, 2 March 2008.
- Headline: Fatal crash in stormy Wellington night.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: Newstalk ZB, 2 March 2008.
March 2008 New Zealand Storm
(
2008-02-29
)
Heavy rain, flooding, high seas and slips were experienced in various parts of New Zealand. The weather contributed to a number of traffic accidents, one in which two people were killed and one injured in the Manawatu. Two people received minor injureies after a yacht capsized in Northland.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 3 days - From 29th February to 2nd March.
A series of lows moved over the country.
Northland
Multi Hazard
at
Northland
Northland experienced heavy seas, rain and wind on the 3rd and 4th.
Maritime / Coastal
Rough seas saw the coastguard called out three times on the 4th.
Heavy Rain
at
Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga recorded more than 48 mm (4.8 cm) of rain in the 12 hours from midnight on the 1st.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cavalli Islands
A 15-metre ketch off the Cavalli Islands, called the coastguard at 9am after the mast broke and the yacht capsized. However, the yacht righted itself, the mast was cut free and they managed to motor into Whangaroa Harbour without rescuing.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Doubtless Bay
A 100-tonne fishing boat called the coastguard around 3:30am, taking on water after the engines failed. The boat drifted onto Fair Way Reef at the south end of Doubtless Bay. A three-metre swell and gale force south-easterly winds prevented the coastguard from reaching them, and heavy rain, winds, a big swell and darkness prevented the helicopter rescuing them. One of the crew rowed a dinghy to another boat and the other two crew were eventually rescued around 7am before the boat sank.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaikohe
Kaikohe received almost 20 mm (2.0 cm) of rain in the nine hours from 3am on the 1st.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Urupuka Island
Two people received minor injuries after their yacht capsized in rough seas off Urupukapuka Island on the 3rd. They called the Bay of Islands Coastguard for help at 11:40pm, but the sea was too rough for a rescue at the time. When the coastguard returned around 7am the two people were found on the island, cold and with scratches and bruises from scrambling up rocks.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Multi Hazard
at
Himatangi
A car carrying four people lost control and hit a power-pole on State Highway 56 near Himatangi at 1:30am on the 2nd. An 18-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman died at the scene.
One other person involved in the crash was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with serious injuries.
Wellington
Heavy Rain
at
Wellington
Wellington experienced a six-hour downpour on the 1st.
Wellington received up to 50 mm (5.0 cm) of rain.
Heavy rain caused a number of traffic accidents.
Multi Hazard
Surface flooding and slips were reported at a number of locations around the city.
A nose-to-tail crash on State Highway 58 between Hutt Valley and Porirua caused delays in both directions and contributed to another nose-to-tail accident.
Multi Hazard
at
Brooklyn
A cable fault left 200 homes in Brooklyn without power for up to an hour from around 7:15pm on the 1st. The power cut was caused by a car caught in the wet hitting a transformer.
Landslide
at
Houghton Bay
A slip came down on the intersection of Houghton Bay Road and Buckley Road just after 12am on the 1st. It was partially cleared on the 2nd to ensure the area was safe.
Flooding
at
Johnsonville
There was flooding 50 cm deep at the corner of Fraser Ave and Radnall Way in Johnsonville.
Flooding up to 1 m deep was reported in Johnsonville.
Landslide
at
Ngauranga
A slip occurred on State Highway 2 just north of the Ngauranga interchange on the 1st. It was cleared on the 2nd.
There was a three-car crash on the southbound lane of State Highway 2, between Horokiwi and Ngauranga.
Landslide
at
York Bay
A slip on the night of the 1st blocked both lanes of Marine Drive at York Bay, Eastbourne.
Otago
Heavy Rain
at
Otago
Some coastal areas of Otago received up to 70 mm (7.0 cm) of rain on the weekend.
There was almost 48 hours of rain around Otago.
Rain made roads hazardous and several crashes were attributed to people not driving to the conditions.
Rain throughout the South Otago district started on the 29th and eased on the afternoon of the 2nd.
Flooding
The Pomahaka River breached its first flood warning early afternoon on the 2nd.
The Central Otago hydro lakes were boosted, with levels rising between 200-700 mm.
Heavy Rain
at
Dunedin
Dunedin recorded 30 mm (3.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Dunedin had a rainfall intensity of 4 mm/hr (0.4 cm/hr) around midday on the 1st.
The rain started falling at midday on the 1st and continued throughout the night, rarely letting up on the 2nd.
Flooding
Heavy rain caused flooding in Dunedin.
The fire service was called to several properties. Water came up through drains and flooded basement properties, although damage appeared to be limited. Dunedin City Council was inundated with calls from concerned residents.
Multi Hazard
A Dunedin towing company had towed about 17 vehicles since the night of the 29th - most of the crashes caused by either speed, wet conditions or both.
Flooding
at
Kaitangata
At Kaitangata and Milton, there were minor reports of surface flooding, but no significant damage.
Flooding
at
Milton
At Kaitangata and Milton, there were minor reports of surface flooding, but no significant damage.
Flooding
at
Port Chalmers
The Portobello and Port Chalmers areas were especially affected.
Flooding
at
Portobello
The Portobello and Port Chalmers areas were especially affected.
Portobello hall was flooded and an area of road had to be blocked off.
Multi Hazard
at
Waitati
A young man was lucky to be alive after his vehicle flipped five times off State Highway 1, about 3 km south of Waitati, at around 2:30pm on the 2nd.
Southland
Heavy Rain
at
Southland
Most of Southland had 50-100 mm (5.0-10.0 cm) of rain at the weekend.
Heavy rain in the headwaters of Southland rivers prompted flood warnings from Environment Southland on the 2nd.
The Oreti River, Irthing Stream, Makarewa River and Hamilton Burn all posted levels more than 1 m above normal around 5pm on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Clifden
The Waiau River at Clifden was 2.7 m above normal and rising at a rate of 132 mm/h around 5pm on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Colac Bay
Flooding occurred near Colac Bay. A car had to be towed out of the water after getting stuck, then it refused to start.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaweku
Kaweka recorded 73 mm (7.3 cm) of rain at the weekend.
Flooding
at
Sunnyside station
The Waiau River at Sunnyside was 2.49 m above normal but falling at around 5pm on the 2nd.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Anau
A prolonged "cloudburst" hit Te Anau on the night of the 1st.
Local emergency services said it was the most intense downpour in the township in 27 years.
Flooding
Streets were flooded.
The Fire Service helped homeowners and businesses deal with the aftermath of the heavy rain on the night of the 1st. Firefighters were first alerted to flooding at around 8:40pm, with five calls for assistance back-to-back.
Two basement garages and three businesses were flooded. Roofs could not cope with the downpour, and combined with storm water, it left waterlogged carpets. At the Fab and Finesse gift shop in the Town Centre, overflowing spoutings caused water to flow down inside of the walls, causing minor damage.
References
- Headline: Wellington weather havoc.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 2 March 2008.
- Headline: Four winched to safety in rough sea rescues.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 4 March 2008, 12:50pm.
- Headline: Relief as overdue rain falls.
- www.odt.co.nz, Source: Otago Daily Times, 3 March 2008.
- Headline: Power outage, flooding in Wellington.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 1 March 2008.
- Headline: Rain expected to bring relief for parched areas.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 1 March 2008.
- Headline: Heavy rain is expected for southern parts of the South Island on Sunday.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 2 March 2008.
- Headline: Rain causes floods, crashes, but drought remains.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Dominion Post, 3 March 2008.
- Headline: Welcome rain knocks drought.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Southland Times, 3 March 2008.
- Headline: Dunedin drenched by rain.
- tv3.co.nz, 2 March 2008.
- Headline: Fatal crash in stormy Wellington night.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: Newstalk ZB, 2 March 2008.