NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
March 2012 North Island Weather Bomb ( 2012-03-03 )
High winds over one day caused damage and disruption in many North Island places. The worst affected areas were South Taranaki and lower North Island.
North Island
High Wind / Gust
at
North Island
Duration: 1 day - On 3rd of March.
A low pressure system deepened as it crossed the Tasman Sea. The low centre, with central pressure of 975 hPa, crossed over Taranaki.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 9:21 am 2-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 3:35 pm 2-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:50 pm 2-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 9:04 am 3-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 3:25 pm 3-Mar-2012: REMAINING SEVERE GALES OVER EASTERN PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND, WELLINGTON AND COASTAL
MARLBOROUGH EASING THIS EVENING, ALL OTHER WARNINGS ARE LIFTED.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:24 pm 3-Mar-2012: SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST GALES OVER EASTERN PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND WELLINGTON
CONTINUING TO EASE OVERNIGHT. NO FURTHER SEVERE GALES ARE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS AND
ALL WARNINGS ARE LIFTED.
One major rural insurance company alone has received claims for more than $5 million in damages. Claims have been lodged by dairy farmers unable to milk because of power outages and land owners who had lost wool sheds and roofs on other farm properties.
Taranaki
High Wind / Gust
at
Taranaki
About 600 overhead lines were brought down and a large number of poles were damaged in South Taranaki and Whanganui, cutting off power to 30,000 customers. Several hundred customers were still without power seven days later.
Much of SH3 was closed between Patea and Waverley during the morning of 3 March.
High Wind / Gust
at
Patea
50 houses lost their roofs
High Wind / Gust
at
Waverley
20 houses lost their roofs
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawera
10 houses lost their roofs
One side of the Placemakers building peeled away from its framing
The second day of the National Showjumping series was cancelled
Maximum wind gust of 122 km/h ( between 3 and 4 am 3 March).
High Wind / Gust
at
Manaia
An elderly woman was taken to Hawera Hospital with a moderate medical related injury after the roof of her home came off.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Port Taranaki
Ships were moved out of Port Taranaki to anchor offshore in anticipation of high seas whipped up by the northwesterly winds battering the harbour, crane gantries were lowered as a precaution, and people with vessels moored at the port were advised to check their moorings.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington
Peak wind speed was 93 km/h
Some posties did not deliver mail because of the weather.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cook Strait
Some Interislander ferries were cancelled
High Wind / Gust
at
Wainuiomata
A firefighter from the Wainuiomata Volunteer Fire Brigade injured her back after a branch fell on her.
A tree fell onto a road, bring powerlines down and causing a car to crash.
High Wind / Gust
at
Martinborough
The Martinborough Fair was cancelled, for the first time in 35 years.
Reports of power outages
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Maximum wind gust was 148 km/h
High Wind / Gust
at
Castlepoint
Maximum wind gust was 156 km/h
High Wind / Gust
at
Tawa
Reports of power outages
High Wind / Gust
at
Raumati South
Reports of power outages
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Airport
Several flights were cancelled. Peak wind speeds were 96 km/h
High Wind / Gust
at
Upper Hutt
The Karapoti mountainbike race was postponed until 4 March.
Flooding
at
Wainuiomata
There was flooding in four classrooms at Fernlea School, and surface flooding in sveral streets in Wainuiomata.
Flooding
at
Hutt River
The Hutt River burst its banks on Harcourt Werry Drive, near the golf course, and partially covered the northbound lane of the road.
Manawatu-Wanganui
High Wind / Gust
at
Wanganui
Power was reported as out in parts of Wanganui, and a road was blocked after giant oaks crashed across it at both ends.
Roofs and fences were blown over
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Waiheke Island
About 500 homes lost power on 3 March
Bay of Plenty
High Wind / Gust
at
Bay of Plenty
Many trees were blown over in the Bay of Plenty, disrupting traffic
Waikato
High Wind / Gust
at
Lake Taupo
The Taupo Ironman event was replaced by a shortened event on 4 March
High Wind / Gust
at
Kawhia
Storm-force winds brought down trees, cutting off power to Kawhia for 13 hours.
References
- Headline: Braced for the storm
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Destructive weather bomb likened to Cyclone Bola
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: Family see their roof torn apart
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: Weather bomb hits Wellington
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Weather bomb nails South Taranaki
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Weather bomb causes havoc in North Island
- www.stuff.co.nz, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Many still without power after weather bomb
- www.stuff.co.nz, 10 March 2012.
- Headline: Storm blows through Waikato
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: $3.5 milliom in weather bomb claims
- Source: Wanganui Chronical, 12 March 2012.
- Headline: Wairarapa survives 'weather bomb'
- Source: Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: March storm costs soar to $6m
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 10 April 2012.
March 2012 North Island Weather Bomb ( 2012-03-03 )
High winds over one day caused damage and disruption in many North Island places. The worst affected areas were South Taranaki and lower North Island.
North Island
High Wind / Gust
at
North Island
Duration: 1 day - On 3rd of March.
A low pressure system deepened as it crossed the Tasman Sea. The low centre, with central pressure of 975 hPa, crossed over Taranaki.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 9:21 am 2-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 3:35 pm 2-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:50 pm 2-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 9:04 am 3-Mar-2012: HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES EXPECTED OVER MANY PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND THE TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND ON SATURDAY.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 3:25 pm 3-Mar-2012: REMAINING SEVERE GALES OVER EASTERN PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND, WELLINGTON AND COASTAL
MARLBOROUGH EASING THIS EVENING, ALL OTHER WARNINGS ARE LIFTED.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:24 pm 3-Mar-2012: SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST GALES OVER EASTERN PARTS OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND WELLINGTON
CONTINUING TO EASE OVERNIGHT. NO FURTHER SEVERE GALES ARE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS AND
ALL WARNINGS ARE LIFTED.
One major rural insurance company alone has received claims for more than $5 million in damages. Claims have been lodged by dairy farmers unable to milk because of power outages and land owners who had lost wool sheds and roofs on other farm properties.
Taranaki
High Wind / Gust
at
Taranaki
About 600 overhead lines were brought down and a large number of poles were damaged in South Taranaki and Whanganui, cutting off power to 30,000 customers. Several hundred customers were still without power seven days later.
Much of SH3 was closed between Patea and Waverley during the morning of 3 March.
High Wind / Gust
at
Patea
50 houses lost their roofs
High Wind / Gust
at
Waverley
20 houses lost their roofs
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawera
10 houses lost their roofs
One side of the Placemakers building peeled away from its framing
The second day of the National Showjumping series was cancelled
Maximum wind gust of 122 km/h ( between 3 and 4 am 3 March).
High Wind / Gust
at
Manaia
An elderly woman was taken to Hawera Hospital with a moderate medical related injury after the roof of her home came off.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Port Taranaki
Ships were moved out of Port Taranaki to anchor offshore in anticipation of high seas whipped up by the northwesterly winds battering the harbour, crane gantries were lowered as a precaution, and people with vessels moored at the port were advised to check their moorings.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington
Peak wind speed was 93 km/h
Some posties did not deliver mail because of the weather.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cook Strait
Some Interislander ferries were cancelled
High Wind / Gust
at
Wainuiomata
A firefighter from the Wainuiomata Volunteer Fire Brigade injured her back after a branch fell on her.
A tree fell onto a road, bring powerlines down and causing a car to crash.
High Wind / Gust
at
Martinborough
The Martinborough Fair was cancelled, for the first time in 35 years.
Reports of power outages
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Maximum wind gust was 148 km/h
High Wind / Gust
at
Castlepoint
Maximum wind gust was 156 km/h
High Wind / Gust
at
Tawa
Reports of power outages
High Wind / Gust
at
Raumati South
Reports of power outages
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Airport
Several flights were cancelled. Peak wind speeds were 96 km/h
High Wind / Gust
at
Upper Hutt
The Karapoti mountainbike race was postponed until 4 March.
Flooding
at
Wainuiomata
There was flooding in four classrooms at Fernlea School, and surface flooding in sveral streets in Wainuiomata.
Flooding
at
Hutt River
The Hutt River burst its banks on Harcourt Werry Drive, near the golf course, and partially covered the northbound lane of the road.
Manawatu-Wanganui
High Wind / Gust
at
Wanganui
Power was reported as out in parts of Wanganui, and a road was blocked after giant oaks crashed across it at both ends.
Roofs and fences were blown over
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Waiheke Island
About 500 homes lost power on 3 March
Bay of Plenty
High Wind / Gust
at
Bay of Plenty
Many trees were blown over in the Bay of Plenty, disrupting traffic
Waikato
High Wind / Gust
at
Lake Taupo
The Taupo Ironman event was replaced by a shortened event on 4 March
High Wind / Gust
at
Kawhia
Storm-force winds brought down trees, cutting off power to Kawhia for 13 hours.
References
- Headline: Braced for the storm
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Destructive weather bomb likened to Cyclone Bola
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: Family see their roof torn apart
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: Weather bomb hits Wellington
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Weather bomb nails South Taranaki
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Weather bomb causes havoc in North Island
- www.stuff.co.nz, 3 March 2012.
- Headline: Many still without power after weather bomb
- www.stuff.co.nz, 10 March 2012.
- Headline: Storm blows through Waikato
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: $3.5 milliom in weather bomb claims
- Source: Wanganui Chronical, 12 March 2012.
- Headline: Wairarapa survives 'weather bomb'
- Source: Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 2012.
- Headline: March storm costs soar to $6m
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 10 April 2012.