NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
October 2008 North Island Storm
(
2008-10-07
)
The North Island was hit with high winds and heavy rain on the 7th. The winds were the strongest in Wellington and the Wairarapa.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 12:06 pm 06-Oct-2008: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of northern and central New Zealand on Tuesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Nelson including Richmond Range, Marlborough Sounds, Tararua Range, hilly country from Taranaki to the Central North Island including Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui and headwaters of the Wanganui River, also eastern ranges of Bay of Plenty and the north of Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington, Wairarapa and the Marlborough Sounds, also exposed areas of Taranaki, the Central North Island Plateau, southern Hawkes Bay, northern Gisborne and possibly higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, Kaimai Range and Auckland.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:52 pm 06-Oct-2008: Spell of heavy rain and northwesterly gales for much of northern and central New Zealand on Tuesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Nelson and Buller, the Marlborough Sounds, the Tararua Range, the hill country from Hamilton southwards to Taranaki and the Central Plateau, and the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington, Wairarapa, the Marlborough Sounds, exposed parts of Taranaki, the North Island Central Plateau, inland Hawkes Bay, northern Gisborne, higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, the Kaimai Ranges and possibly Auckland.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 9:30 am 07-Oct-2008: Spell of heavy rain and northwesterly gales for much of northern and central New Zealand today. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Nelson and Buller, the Marlborough Sounds, the Tararua Range, the hill country from Hamilton southwards to Taranaki and the Central Plateau, and the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington, Wairarapa, the Marlborough Sounds, exposed parts of Taranaki, the North Island Central Plateau, inland Hawkes Bay, northern Gisborne, higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, the Kaimai Ranges and possibly Auckland.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 4:30 pm 07-Oct-2008: Severe weather has eased about central New Zealand and should ease over northern New Zealand later this evening. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: the hill country from Hamilton southwards to the Central Plateau, and the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: inland Hawkes Bay, inland and northern Gisborne, the higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula and the Kaimai Ranges, exposed parts of Auckland and the islands of the outer Hauraki Gulf. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for: the ranges of western Nelson and Buller, the Richmond Ranges and Marlborough Sounds, the Tararua Range and Taranaki; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for: Wellington, Wairarapa, the Marlborough Sounds, Taranaki and the North Island Central Plateau.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:54 pm 07-Oct-2008: Severe weather easing overnight. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: exposed parts of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for: the hilly country from Hamilton southwards to the Central Plateau; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for: higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, the Kaimai Ranges and Auckland including the islands of the Hauraki Gulf.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:42 am 08-Oct-2008: Severe weather has eased overnight. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for: the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for: exposed parts of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.
The North Island was hit with high winds and heavy rain on the 7th. The winds were the strongest in Wellington and the Wairarapa. On the 8th there was flooding in some areas.
On the 7th, a trough in the Tasman and a low that formed in it both crossed New Zealand. North-westerlies ahead of it rose to severe gale force. The trough had moved away by the 8th, with a cold west to south-west flow over New Zealand, which brought snow to high country places. On the 9th, the flow weakened.
From the 7th to the 8th of October.
High Wind / Gust
About 6500 households and businesses had their power cut at some point on the 7th in Wellington, Wairarapa, Manawatu and Taranaki. 1700 electricity consumers in the lower and central North Island were without power on the night of the 7th.
The Fire Service central region communications centre received about 100 wind-related calls between 8.30am and midday.
Auckland
Multi Hazard
at
Auckland International Airport
At Auckland Airport, domestic flights were suspended for 40 minutes from 5pm due to strong winds and rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Manakau Entrance
Winds of 83 km/hr were recorded at the Manukau Heads on the morning of the 7th.
Waikato
Landslide
at
Arohena
A huge slip took out the entire width of Waipapa Rd at Arohena following heavy rain in early October. The slip also took out a farm driveway and it was three weeks before access was restored. The slip was not likely to be fixed until the end of January, four months after it occurred.
The estimated cost of repair for the road was $200,000.
Three or four families living on the south side of the slip had children who attended Arohena Primary School on the north side. Most of the students were driven down and walked around the slip, to meet the school bus on the other side.
Multi Hazard
at
Te Kuiti
Several people were left in hospital after an accident on SH3 3km north of Te Kuiti. Atrocious weather was blamed for a the collision involving a truck and trailer unit and two cars. The driver of one car was seriously injured and his woman passenger suffered critical injuries. An elderly couple in the other car suffered minor to moderate injuries in the crash.
The higway was closed while the accident was cleared.
Gisborne
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne
High winds brought trees and branches down all over the place but none had caused road closures.
At one stage late on the 7th, over 1000 Eastland Group consumers were without electricity. About 200 homes in isolated areas such as Tuai, inland from Matawai and inland on the East Coast were still without power the next morning. Most of the faults were caused by conductors clashing or trees coming over lines and the wind also brought down a line in Tiniroto Road just after 4pm.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne city
Around Gisborne the wind gusted at about 80 km/hr.
Heavy Rain
at
Matawai
70 mm (7 cm) of rain was recorded in Matawai.
Heavy Rain
at
Ruatoria
90 mm (9 cm) of rain was recorded in Ruatoria.
High Wind / Gust
The strongest wind gust was 150 km/hr at the Rip station, inland from Ruatoria.
Hawke's Bay
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawke's Bay
At least a dozen trees were downed in the region.
High Wind / Gust
at
Roy's Hill
Near Roy's Hill, the winds brought down a 100-year-old Macrocarpa tree.
High Wind / Gust
at
Takapau Plain
Two trucks were blown over on SH2 on the Takapau Plains.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waikoau
Winds tore away roofing iron and insulation from a Waikoau house, leaving it scattered across the property as well as a neighbour's. Rain also fell into the house, covering everything in water.
The winds were estimated to have gusted up to 130 km/hr through the Waikoau district.
Taranaki
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawera
Winds of 75 km/hr were recorded in Hawera at 6am.
Flooding
at
Kaupokonui Stream
A woman (56 years old) died after being swept away while crossing the flooded Kaupokonui Stream just after midday on the 7th. She and her daughter were tramping back to Dawson Falls from Lake Dive Hut in Egmont National Park. The conditions at that time were quite extreme, with the river peaking around 12.30pm.
At the time the woman was swept away the flow rate of the stream was 3.58 cumecs.
Heavy Rain
Steady rain started at about 2am on the 7th. The storm had not been expected to start until that afternoon.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Marton
Heavy flooding on SH1 by Calico Line forced diversions through the Marton township.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mount Ruapehu
High winds closed both sides of Mt Ruapehu.
Flooding
at
Opiki
On the morning of the 8th, fields surrounding a section of highway near Opiki had become a lake, with only the top few centimetres of fence posts lining the highway breaking the surface.
Landslide
at
Palmerston North
Late in the afternoon a large slip occurred on the Pahiatua-Aokautere Rd (known as the Pahiatua Track) below the summit on the Palmerston North side. It was cleared soon after.
Flooding
Palmerston North City Council received numerous calls about flash flooding in the streets, although they cleared quickly. Some of the floods were because of blocked drains and others were caused by the volume of water.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington
Wellington experienced severe gale force north westerlies on the morning of the 7th. The winds were starting to ease at midday.
Roads in and around the region were littered with debris blown around by the winds.
Several roofs were lifted by the winds and there were plenty of reports of broken windows. There were also reports of trampolines being blown around various suburbs, with some blown across roads and onto neighbouring roofs.
The wind and falling trees brought down power lines, cutting power to around 4000 people in Wellington and Wairarapa. 2500 PowerCo customers in Greytown, Martinborough, Mount Bruce, Cape Palliser and Lake Ferry lost their power. Power was cut to around 1,500 homes in Wellington, with outages in Miramar, Seaview, Karori, Mana and Upper Hutt.
The Fire Service received more than 85 calls relating to high winds in Wellington.
Winds gusted up to 150 km/hr in the Wairarapa.
Trees were down on more than a dozen roads in the region.
Heavy Rain
The strong northwesterlies were accompanied by torrential rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Brooklyn
A house in the suburb of Brooklyn had almost its whole roof ripped off.
Flooding
at
Martinborough
SH53 at Martinborough was closed until the 8th due to flooding.
High Wind / Gust
at
Masterton
Large trees were blown down on the Masterton by-pass road (Paierau Rd). Trees were also blown down in other parts of the district.
Landslide
at
Matarawa
A major slip closed the road to the Waiohine Gorge Road, one of the eastern entrances to the Tararua Forest Park.
High Wind / Gust
at
Miramar
A house in Mirarmar had its windows blown out by the wind just before 9am.
A number of homes in Miramar were without power after trees blew onto lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Wind gusts of up to 160 km/hr were recorded on Mount Kaukau.
Multi Hazard
at
Opaki
A truck and trailer unit was blown over and rolled on Paierau Rd (the Masterton bypass road) near Opaki just before 9am on the 7th. Conditions at the time were terrible, with heavy rain, a slippery road and poor visibility. The road was closed from the Loop Line up to where the bypass meets SH2 at its north end.
High Wind / Gust
at
Paekakariki
In Paekakariki the wind brought down some small trees.
High Wind / Gust
at
Paraparaumu
Wind gusts of 85 km/hr were recorded at Paraparaumu during the morning.
High Wind / Gust
at
Rimutaka Hill
Wind gusts of up to 130 km/hr were recorded on the Rimutaka Hill Road during the morning.
On the Rimutaka Hill Road (SH2), a vehicle was blown into a bank on the Wairarapa side.
The Rimutaka Hill Road was closed between 8.30am and 3.15pm due to excessive winds.
Landslide
There was a slip on the Featherston side of the Rimutaka Hill Road during the evening.
Heavy Rain
at
Tararua Range
More than 450 mm (45 cm) of rain fell over 30 hours, causing rivers within the forest parks to run high.
High Wind / Gust
at
Upper Hutt
Just over 100 people in the Maidstone area of Upper Hutt were still without power in the afternoon.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington City
Wind gusts of 102 km/hr were reported in downtown Wellington.
Construction material blowing loose in central Wellington appeared to have damaged buildings. Windows were blown in in some central city office buildings. Some containers were blown over at the port.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington International Airport
24 flights were either cancelled or diverted from Wellington Airport on the morning of the 7th. A small number of flights had to be diverted when winds became too strong and all flights were later suspended. Fifteen domestic Air New Zealand flights were cancelled along with a number of link services. Several flights were diverted to Palmerston North and Blenheim. Around 2500 passengers were affected. Flights resumed in the afternoon.
Otago
Snow / Ice
at
Arthurs Point
It snowed sporadically at Arthurs Point throughout the day on the 8th.
Snow / Ice
at
Queenstown
The weather pattern brought snow to Queenstown, with the fall starting around 7am.
Queenstown Airport was closed for a time during the morning and early afternoon, with eight flights cancelled because of the weather. Snow fell at the airport and the runway closed because of poor visibility. On the 8th, two flights were affected early in the day.
References
- Headline: Stormy weather due to buffet much of the country.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 7 October 2008, 8:50am.
- Headline: Wild weather keeps emergency services busy in Wellington.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 7 October 2008, 12:15pm.
- Headline: Wild wet windy weather hits Wellington.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 7 October 2008, 6:07pm.
- Headline: Police find body of woman swept away in stream.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 7 October 2008, 8:53pm.
- Headline: Tramper swept away in swollen stream found dead.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 7 October 2008, 10:15pm.
- Headline: Winds knock power out for 1000 homes.
- www.gisborneherald.co.nz, 8 October 2008.
- Headline: Our house is toast!
- www.hbtoday.co.nz, 8 October 2008.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.). (2008). Climate summary for spring 2008. Newsletter 115, December 2008. 12-22
- Headline: NZ buffeted by stormy weather today.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 8:51am.
- Headline: Airport back in action after cancellations.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 2:00pm.
- Headline: Woman washed away on Mt Taranaki.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 2:00pm.
- Headline: Strong winds heading north.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 5:40pm.
- Headline: Weather blamed for serious road smash.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 5:40pm.
- Headline: Stream victim found.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 10:24pm.
- Headline: Storm's winds hit 160km/h, Wellington flights cancelled .
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 9:15am.
- Headline: Winds hit 160km/h cancelling flights.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 12:27pm.
- Headline: Flash flood sweeps hiker away.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and Otago Daily Times, 8 October 2008, 4:00am.
- Headline: Woman's body found, weather wreaks havoc.
- www.odt.co.nz, Source: Otago Daily Times, 7 October 2008, 9:41pm.
- Headline: 85 wind calls to Fire Service.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 1:14pm.
- Headline: Wild weather leaves 1700 without power.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 10:18pm.
- Headline: Search teams find body in Taranaki river.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 10:18pm.
- Headline: Prepare for adverse conditions due to bad weather.
- www.scoop.co.nz, Source: Department of Conservation, 8 October 2008, 2:47pm.
- Headline: Wild weather stretches emergency services.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post and NZPA, 7 October 2008.
- Headline: Woman swept away as rain, wind batters north.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post and NZPA, 7 October 2008.
- Headline: Bad weather wreaks havoc around region.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 7 October 2008.
- Headline: Havoc as winds leave trail of damage.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 8 October 2008.
- Headline: Waters sweep the region.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Manawatu Standard, 9 October 2008.
- Headline: Cold snap disrupts plans of travellers.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Southland Times, 9 October 2008.
- Headline: Woman dies on Mt Taranaki.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 2008.
- Headline: District learns to live with slip on doorstep.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 20 November 2008.
- Headline: Winds blow truck trailer over.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Wairarapa News, 9 October 2008.
- Headline: High winds hammer lower Nth Island.
- www.tvnz.co.nz, Source: NZPA and ONE News, 7 October 2008, 1:14pm.
- Headline: Wild winds batter the North Island.
- www.tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 7 October 2008, 6:27pm.
- Headline: Flash flood victim identified.
- www.tvnz.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 8 October 2008, 7:38am.
- MetService Email Lists
October 2008 North Island Storm
(
2008-10-07
)
The North Island was hit with high winds and heavy rain on the 7th. The winds were the strongest in Wellington and the Wairarapa.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 12:06 pm 06-Oct-2008: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of northern and central New Zealand on Tuesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Nelson including Richmond Range, Marlborough Sounds, Tararua Range, hilly country from Taranaki to the Central North Island including Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui and headwaters of the Wanganui River, also eastern ranges of Bay of Plenty and the north of Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington, Wairarapa and the Marlborough Sounds, also exposed areas of Taranaki, the Central North Island Plateau, southern Hawkes Bay, northern Gisborne and possibly higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, Kaimai Range and Auckland.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:52 pm 06-Oct-2008: Spell of heavy rain and northwesterly gales for much of northern and central New Zealand on Tuesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Nelson and Buller, the Marlborough Sounds, the Tararua Range, the hill country from Hamilton southwards to Taranaki and the Central Plateau, and the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington, Wairarapa, the Marlborough Sounds, exposed parts of Taranaki, the North Island Central Plateau, inland Hawkes Bay, northern Gisborne, higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, the Kaimai Ranges and possibly Auckland.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 9:30 am 07-Oct-2008: Spell of heavy rain and northwesterly gales for much of northern and central New Zealand today. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Nelson and Buller, the Marlborough Sounds, the Tararua Range, the hill country from Hamilton southwards to Taranaki and the Central Plateau, and the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington, Wairarapa, the Marlborough Sounds, exposed parts of Taranaki, the North Island Central Plateau, inland Hawkes Bay, northern Gisborne, higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, the Kaimai Ranges and possibly Auckland.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 4:30 pm 07-Oct-2008: Severe weather has eased about central New Zealand and should ease over northern New Zealand later this evening. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: the hill country from Hamilton southwards to the Central Plateau, and the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: inland Hawkes Bay, inland and northern Gisborne, the higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula and the Kaimai Ranges, exposed parts of Auckland and the islands of the outer Hauraki Gulf. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for: the ranges of western Nelson and Buller, the Richmond Ranges and Marlborough Sounds, the Tararua Range and Taranaki; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for: Wellington, Wairarapa, the Marlborough Sounds, Taranaki and the North Island Central Plateau.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:54 pm 07-Oct-2008: Severe weather easing overnight. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: exposed parts of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for: the hilly country from Hamilton southwards to the Central Plateau; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for: higher parts of Coromandel Peninsula, the Kaimai Ranges and Auckland including the islands of the Hauraki Gulf.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:42 am 08-Oct-2008: Severe weather has eased overnight. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warnings lifted for: the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for: exposed parts of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.
The North Island was hit with high winds and heavy rain on the 7th. The winds were the strongest in Wellington and the Wairarapa. On the 8th there was flooding in some areas.
On the 7th, a trough in the Tasman and a low that formed in it both crossed New Zealand. North-westerlies ahead of it rose to severe gale force. The trough had moved away by the 8th, with a cold west to south-west flow over New Zealand, which brought snow to high country places. On the 9th, the flow weakened.
From the 7th to the 8th of October.
High Wind / Gust
About 6500 households and businesses had their power cut at some point on the 7th in Wellington, Wairarapa, Manawatu and Taranaki. 1700 electricity consumers in the lower and central North Island were without power on the night of the 7th.
The Fire Service central region communications centre received about 100 wind-related calls between 8.30am and midday.
Auckland
Multi Hazard
at
Auckland International Airport
At Auckland Airport, domestic flights were suspended for 40 minutes from 5pm due to strong winds and rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Manakau Entrance
Winds of 83 km/hr were recorded at the Manukau Heads on the morning of the 7th.
Waikato
Landslide
at
Arohena
A huge slip took out the entire width of Waipapa Rd at Arohena following heavy rain in early October. The slip also took out a farm driveway and it was three weeks before access was restored. The slip was not likely to be fixed until the end of January, four months after it occurred.
The estimated cost of repair for the road was $200,000.
Three or four families living on the south side of the slip had children who attended Arohena Primary School on the north side. Most of the students were driven down and walked around the slip, to meet the school bus on the other side.
Multi Hazard
at
Te Kuiti
Several people were left in hospital after an accident on SH3 3km north of Te Kuiti. Atrocious weather was blamed for a the collision involving a truck and trailer unit and two cars. The driver of one car was seriously injured and his woman passenger suffered critical injuries. An elderly couple in the other car suffered minor to moderate injuries in the crash.
The higway was closed while the accident was cleared.
Gisborne
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne
High winds brought trees and branches down all over the place but none had caused road closures.
At one stage late on the 7th, over 1000 Eastland Group consumers were without electricity. About 200 homes in isolated areas such as Tuai, inland from Matawai and inland on the East Coast were still without power the next morning. Most of the faults were caused by conductors clashing or trees coming over lines and the wind also brought down a line in Tiniroto Road just after 4pm.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne city
Around Gisborne the wind gusted at about 80 km/hr.
Heavy Rain
at
Matawai
70 mm (7 cm) of rain was recorded in Matawai.
Heavy Rain
at
Ruatoria
90 mm (9 cm) of rain was recorded in Ruatoria.
High Wind / Gust
The strongest wind gust was 150 km/hr at the Rip station, inland from Ruatoria.
Hawke's Bay
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawke's Bay
At least a dozen trees were downed in the region.
High Wind / Gust
at
Roy's Hill
Near Roy's Hill, the winds brought down a 100-year-old Macrocarpa tree.
High Wind / Gust
at
Takapau Plain
Two trucks were blown over on SH2 on the Takapau Plains.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waikoau
Winds tore away roofing iron and insulation from a Waikoau house, leaving it scattered across the property as well as a neighbour's. Rain also fell into the house, covering everything in water.
The winds were estimated to have gusted up to 130 km/hr through the Waikoau district.
Taranaki
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawera
Winds of 75 km/hr were recorded in Hawera at 6am.
Flooding
at
Kaupokonui Stream
A woman (56 years old) died after being swept away while crossing the flooded Kaupokonui Stream just after midday on the 7th. She and her daughter were tramping back to Dawson Falls from Lake Dive Hut in Egmont National Park. The conditions at that time were quite extreme, with the river peaking around 12.30pm.
At the time the woman was swept away the flow rate of the stream was 3.58 cumecs.
Heavy Rain
Steady rain started at about 2am on the 7th. The storm had not been expected to start until that afternoon.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Marton
Heavy flooding on SH1 by Calico Line forced diversions through the Marton township.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mount Ruapehu
High winds closed both sides of Mt Ruapehu.
Flooding
at
Opiki
On the morning of the 8th, fields surrounding a section of highway near Opiki had become a lake, with only the top few centimetres of fence posts lining the highway breaking the surface.
Landslide
at
Palmerston North
Late in the afternoon a large slip occurred on the Pahiatua-Aokautere Rd (known as the Pahiatua Track) below the summit on the Palmerston North side. It was cleared soon after.
Flooding
Palmerston North City Council received numerous calls about flash flooding in the streets, although they cleared quickly. Some of the floods were because of blocked drains and others were caused by the volume of water.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington
Wellington experienced severe gale force north westerlies on the morning of the 7th. The winds were starting to ease at midday.
Roads in and around the region were littered with debris blown around by the winds.
Several roofs were lifted by the winds and there were plenty of reports of broken windows. There were also reports of trampolines being blown around various suburbs, with some blown across roads and onto neighbouring roofs.
The wind and falling trees brought down power lines, cutting power to around 4000 people in Wellington and Wairarapa. 2500 PowerCo customers in Greytown, Martinborough, Mount Bruce, Cape Palliser and Lake Ferry lost their power. Power was cut to around 1,500 homes in Wellington, with outages in Miramar, Seaview, Karori, Mana and Upper Hutt.
The Fire Service received more than 85 calls relating to high winds in Wellington.
Winds gusted up to 150 km/hr in the Wairarapa.
Trees were down on more than a dozen roads in the region.
Heavy Rain
The strong northwesterlies were accompanied by torrential rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Brooklyn
A house in the suburb of Brooklyn had almost its whole roof ripped off.
Flooding
at
Martinborough
SH53 at Martinborough was closed until the 8th due to flooding.
High Wind / Gust
at
Masterton
Large trees were blown down on the Masterton by-pass road (Paierau Rd). Trees were also blown down in other parts of the district.
Landslide
at
Matarawa
A major slip closed the road to the Waiohine Gorge Road, one of the eastern entrances to the Tararua Forest Park.
High Wind / Gust
at
Miramar
A house in Mirarmar had its windows blown out by the wind just before 9am.
A number of homes in Miramar were without power after trees blew onto lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Wind gusts of up to 160 km/hr were recorded on Mount Kaukau.
Multi Hazard
at
Opaki
A truck and trailer unit was blown over and rolled on Paierau Rd (the Masterton bypass road) near Opaki just before 9am on the 7th. Conditions at the time were terrible, with heavy rain, a slippery road and poor visibility. The road was closed from the Loop Line up to where the bypass meets SH2 at its north end.
High Wind / Gust
at
Paekakariki
In Paekakariki the wind brought down some small trees.
High Wind / Gust
at
Paraparaumu
Wind gusts of 85 km/hr were recorded at Paraparaumu during the morning.
High Wind / Gust
at
Rimutaka Hill
Wind gusts of up to 130 km/hr were recorded on the Rimutaka Hill Road during the morning.
On the Rimutaka Hill Road (SH2), a vehicle was blown into a bank on the Wairarapa side.
The Rimutaka Hill Road was closed between 8.30am and 3.15pm due to excessive winds.
Landslide
There was a slip on the Featherston side of the Rimutaka Hill Road during the evening.
Heavy Rain
at
Tararua Range
More than 450 mm (45 cm) of rain fell over 30 hours, causing rivers within the forest parks to run high.
High Wind / Gust
at
Upper Hutt
Just over 100 people in the Maidstone area of Upper Hutt were still without power in the afternoon.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington City
Wind gusts of 102 km/hr were reported in downtown Wellington.
Construction material blowing loose in central Wellington appeared to have damaged buildings. Windows were blown in in some central city office buildings. Some containers were blown over at the port.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington International Airport
24 flights were either cancelled or diverted from Wellington Airport on the morning of the 7th. A small number of flights had to be diverted when winds became too strong and all flights were later suspended. Fifteen domestic Air New Zealand flights were cancelled along with a number of link services. Several flights were diverted to Palmerston North and Blenheim. Around 2500 passengers were affected. Flights resumed in the afternoon.
Otago
Snow / Ice
at
Arthurs Point
It snowed sporadically at Arthurs Point throughout the day on the 8th.
Snow / Ice
at
Queenstown
The weather pattern brought snow to Queenstown, with the fall starting around 7am.
Queenstown Airport was closed for a time during the morning and early afternoon, with eight flights cancelled because of the weather. Snow fell at the airport and the runway closed because of poor visibility. On the 8th, two flights were affected early in the day.
References
- Headline: Stormy weather due to buffet much of the country.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 7 October 2008, 8:50am.
- Headline: Wild weather keeps emergency services busy in Wellington.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 7 October 2008, 12:15pm.
- Headline: Wild wet windy weather hits Wellington.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 7 October 2008, 6:07pm.
- Headline: Police find body of woman swept away in stream.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 7 October 2008, 8:53pm.
- Headline: Tramper swept away in swollen stream found dead.
- www.3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 7 October 2008, 10:15pm.
- Headline: Winds knock power out for 1000 homes.
- www.gisborneherald.co.nz, 8 October 2008.
- Headline: Our house is toast!
- www.hbtoday.co.nz, 8 October 2008.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.). (2008). Climate summary for spring 2008. Newsletter 115, December 2008. 12-22
- Headline: NZ buffeted by stormy weather today.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 8:51am.
- Headline: Airport back in action after cancellations.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 2:00pm.
- Headline: Woman washed away on Mt Taranaki.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 2:00pm.
- Headline: Strong winds heading north.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 5:40pm.
- Headline: Weather blamed for serious road smash.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 5:40pm.
- Headline: Stream victim found.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 10:24pm.
- Headline: Storm's winds hit 160km/h, Wellington flights cancelled .
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 9:15am.
- Headline: Winds hit 160km/h cancelling flights.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 12:27pm.
- Headline: Flash flood sweeps hiker away.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZ Herald and Otago Daily Times, 8 October 2008, 4:00am.
- Headline: Woman's body found, weather wreaks havoc.
- www.odt.co.nz, Source: Otago Daily Times, 7 October 2008, 9:41pm.
- Headline: 85 wind calls to Fire Service.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 1:14pm.
- Headline: Wild weather leaves 1700 without power.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 10:18pm.
- Headline: Search teams find body in Taranaki river.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 7 October 2008, 10:18pm.
- Headline: Prepare for adverse conditions due to bad weather.
- www.scoop.co.nz, Source: Department of Conservation, 8 October 2008, 2:47pm.
- Headline: Wild weather stretches emergency services.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post and NZPA, 7 October 2008.
- Headline: Woman swept away as rain, wind batters north.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post and NZPA, 7 October 2008.
- Headline: Bad weather wreaks havoc around region.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 7 October 2008.
- Headline: Havoc as winds leave trail of damage.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 8 October 2008.
- Headline: Waters sweep the region.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Manawatu Standard, 9 October 2008.
- Headline: Cold snap disrupts plans of travellers.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Southland Times, 9 October 2008.
- Headline: Woman dies on Mt Taranaki.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 2008.
- Headline: District learns to live with slip on doorstep.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 20 November 2008.
- Headline: Winds blow truck trailer over.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Wairarapa News, 9 October 2008.
- Headline: High winds hammer lower Nth Island.
- www.tvnz.co.nz, Source: NZPA and ONE News, 7 October 2008, 1:14pm.
- Headline: Wild winds batter the North Island.
- www.tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 7 October 2008, 6:27pm.
- Headline: Flash flood victim identified.
- www.tvnz.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 8 October 2008, 7:38am.
- MetService Email Lists