NZ Historic Weather Events Catalog

October 2003 New Zealand Storm ( 2003-10-03 )

120

Heavy rain was experienced in parts of the North Island, and brought serious flooding to Paekakariki. A civil defence emergency was declared for the Kapiti Coast. There were associated snowfalls in the North Island and South Island high country. Four people were killed during the storm.

New Zealand

Multi Hazard at New Zealand

Duration: 3 days - From the 3rd till the 5th of October.

Cause A deepening low moved from the Tasman Sea onto New Zealand. An active trough extending from the low into the Tasman was preceded by a very strong moist northerly flow. A slow-moving convergence zone between northeast winds to the north and northwest winds to the south developed within a frontal conveyor belt in a very strong low level north to northwest flow.

Total Damage The initial damage estimate across New Zealand, excluding Paekakariki, was $3.00 million ($3,495,700 2008 dollars).

Stock Damage Thousands of lambs were lost due to the extreme wind chill.

North Island

Heavy Rain at North Island

Physical Characteristic The Tararua Ranges recorded a 48-hour rainfall total in excess of 200-300 mm (20-30 cm) from the 3rd till the 4th.

Snow / Ice

Physical Characteristic On the 4th, snow settled down to 800 m on the Central Plateau.

South Island

Snow / Ice at South Island

Comment On the 4th there were snowfalls in the South Island high country of Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

Physical Characteristic Snow fell down to 200m in the South Island high country.

Peak Snow Depth Up to 30 cm of snow was deposited in some high country districts. Snow was 10 cm deep in many inland areas.

Physical Characteristic 10-12cm of snow fell on the hill country along the Clinton-Mataura road overnight on the 5th.

Waikato

Flooding at Coroglen

Casualties An 18-year-old woman was washed away by flood waters at Coroglen on the 4th.

Gisborne

Heavy Rain at Motu

Physical Characteristic Motu received 177 mm (17.7 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Taranaki

Heavy Rain at Stratford

Physical Characteristic Stratford received 116 mm (11.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Manawatu-Wanganui

Snow / Ice at Taihape

Comment There were snow flurries in Taihape on the 4th.

Heavy Rain at Taumarunui

Physical Characteristic Taumarunui received 101 mm (10.1 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Snow / Ice

Comment There were snow flurries in Taumarunui on the 4th.

Wellington

Multi Hazard at Wellington

Declared Emergency A Civil Defence Emergency was declared for the Kapiti Coast District from 12:30am on the 4th until the 9th.

Affected Lifeline Wellington was cut off by road and rail services. SH1 and the main trunk railway north of Wellington were closed between Plimmerton and McKays Crossing, as well as other routes out of Wellington. Motorists were trapped on SH1.

Property Damage Eight houses were left uninhabitable.

Maritime / Coastal

Affected Lifeline Two passenger ferries were cancelled.

Flooding

Comment Severe flooding affected only a small area.

Snow / Ice

Comment On the 4th there was a cold southerly change and dropping temperature.

Comment Snow settled down to the Wellington Hill suburbs of Brooklyn, Karori and Broadmeadows on the 4th.

Snow / Ice at Kelburn

Comment There were snow flurries in Kelburn.

Heavy Rain at Levin

Physical Characteristic Levin received 41.0 mm (4.1 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Heavy Rain at Lower Hutt

Physical Characteristic Lower Hutt received 78 mm (7.8 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Heavy Rain at Masterton

Physical Characteristic Masterton received 28 mm (2.8 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Multi Hazard at Paekakariki

Comment Paekakariki experienced torrential rain and gale force winds on the 3rd, followed by major flooding and landslides.

Declared Emergency A Civil Defence Emergency was in place in Paekakariki.

Comment The storm in the Paekakariki area was a 125 year event.

Evacuees Several families and more than 20 houses were evacuated.

Impact A welfare centre was established.

Total Damage The initial damage estimate for Paekakariki was $2.50 million ($2,913,000 2008 dollars).

Heavy Rain

Comment Paekakariki was hit by a ferocious dumping of rain.

Physical Characteristic Paekakariki received 60 mm (6 cm) of rain in 1 hour on the 3rd.

Physical Characteristic Paekakariki received 82 mm (8.2 cm) of rain in 4 hours on the 3rd.

Physical Characteristic Paekakariki Hill received 119 mm (11.9 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Physical Characteristic A private weather station 3-4km north of Paekakariki received 92 mm (9.2 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Physical Characteristic The private weather station 3-4km north of Paekakariki received about 60 mm (6 cm) of rain in 6 hours.

Comment The return period was estimated at greater than or equal to 120 years based on radar rain accumulation for the period 7am-10pm on the 3rd.

Flooding

Impact Homes and properties were flooded. Almost every business was flooded and 21 houses were inundated.

Physical Characteristic Some houses the water was waist deep.

Property Damage Eight houses were uninhabitable due to septic tank overflowing.

Damage Damage was limited to Paekakariki town and Paekakariki Hill Road.

Comment Two creeks on each side of the town had swollen and flooded the area.

Affected Lifeline There were health issues and sewerage problems as septic tanks overflowed.

Affected Lifeline Roads were turned into rivers.

Landslide

Damage There was a huge land and mudslide across SH1 at Paekakariki. 10,000 cu m of gravel poured down Paekakariki Hill. High intensity rainfall associated with the approach of an active frontal system on the 3rd, after weeks of wet weather, contributing to the landslide.

Property Damage There was a massive rockfall at Belvedere Motel on SH1. The volume of water, mud and gravel that swamped the motel was unbelievable, and the building was described as a "total write-off".

Physical Characteristic 15 cm of muddy water flowed through the pub and a ute was buried up to its roof. An estimated 300 cubic metres of rock washed into the motel.

Heavy Rain at Paraparaumu

Physical Characteristic Paraparaumu received 55.8 mm (5.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Flooding at Paremata

Impact Blocked drains caused flooding to several shops and households in Paremata.

Multi Hazard at Rimutaka Hill

Affected Lifeline The Rimutaka Hill Road was closed.

Snow / Ice at Rimutaka Range

Comment Snow fell on the Rimutaka Range and Orongorongo on the 4th.

Multi Hazard at Waikanae Beach

Casualties A cargo plane travelling from Christchurch to Palmerston North was caught in the storm over the Kapiti Coast and vanished from radars northwest of Waikanae Beach. Debris from the plane later washed up and the two men on board (50 and 57 years old) were killed.

Heavy Rain at Wallacevillle

Physical Characteristic Wallaceville recived 108 mm (10.8 cm) of rain in 24 hours.

Canterbury

Maritime / Coastal at Kaikoura

Casualties A 90-year-old man drowned after his boat capsized at sea off Kaikoura.

Otago

Snow / Ice at Otago

Affected Lifeline Snow closed some roads in Otago on the morning of the 5th. Part of SH1 north of Dunedin was closed by 10-15cm of snow.

Snow / Ice at Cardrona Ski Field

Impact Cardrona skifield was closed on the 5th.

Peak Snow Depth The skifield had received up to 20 cm of snow from the 3rd to the 4th.

Snow / Ice at Clinton

Comment Some of the heaviest snowfalls were in Clinton and the hill country along the Clinton-Mataura road.

Snow / Ice at Kaka Point

Physical Characteristic Up to 5 cm of snow fell in Kaka Point on the night of the 4th and flurries continued on the 5th.

Snow / Ice at Owaka

Physical Characteristic Up to 5 cm of snow fell in Owaka on the night of the 4th and flurries continued on the 5th.

Affected Lifeline Gibbs Hill was closed on the morning of the 5th due to snow.

Hail

Comment Owaka also experienced hail.

Snow / Ice at Remarkables Ski Field

Impact The Remarkables skifield was closed by blizzard conditions on the 5th.

Peak Snow Depth Up to 50 cm of snow had falled at the skifield in three days.

Southland

Snow / Ice at Southland

Affected Lifeline Snow closed some roads in Southland on the morning of the 5th.

References

Headline: Civil Defence Declarations since 1 January 1963.: Declared Civil Defence Emergencies,
Headline: Torrential rain closes roads, strands trains.: The Dominion Post, October 4-5 2003.
Headline: After the flood.: The Dominion Post, October 6 2003.
Headline: Rocks and rain deluge Paekakariki.: The Dominion Post, October 6 2003.
Headline: State of emergency enforced.: The Dominion Post, October 6 2003.
Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall to 31st May 2006.
Major weather events in New Zealand, Snowstorms to 14 June 2006.
Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 95, December 2003.
www.metservice/notable weather events.govt.nz
New Zealand Meteorological Service. (2008). Meteorology of Extreme Rainfalls in New Zealand (Mark Pascoe, Ed.).
Report: Hydrology and Meteorology of the Paekakariki storm - 3 October 2003.
Headline: Worst of snow over.: The Southland Times, 6 October 2003.
Headline: Young woman washed away from boyfriend's grip.: The Waikato Times, 6 October 2003.