NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
January 1961 Central North Island Storm ( 1961-01-21 )
Heavy cloudbursts over the North Island caused widespread damage and flooding in town and country.
North Island
Heavy Rain
at
North Island
Duration: 2 days - There were heavy cloudbursts over the North Island on the 21st and 22nd of January which caused widespread damage and flooding in town and country.
The cloudburst were isolated and caused by an unstable airstream over the island.
Auckland
Flooding
at
Auckland
The Waitakeres and western districts bore the brunt of the storm in Auckland.
Flash floods blocked the Auckland-Helensville highway for half a mile for three hours on the 21st.
Landslide
A slip broke the 20-inch water main from the City Council's Waitakere dam to the filter station on the 21st. The water supply was cut for four hours while it was repaired. Areas affected were Waitemata County and Swanson supply districts.
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland City
Mechanics Bay recorded 1.3 in (3.30 cm) of rain on the 22nd.
Flooding
A telephone cable fault on the Great South Road caused by floodwater cut off about 180 subscribers in Greenlane early on the 22nd.
Heavy Rain
at
Waimauku
Waimauku and Reweti area recorded 5.5 in (13.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
Thousands of pounds' worth of damage was done to farmers' stock and equipment in the Waimauku and Reweti area.
Crops were swept away by torrential rain.
The torrential rain broke down a 15,000 gallon dam of a Waimauku market gardener. The damage was estimated at £1500 ($58,900 2010 dollars). Another gardener in the district also suffered £1000 ($39,300 2010 dollars) damage to his crops and dam.
A farmer in the area lost 40 hoggets in the flooding by the Waimauku Creek.
Waikato
Lightning
at
Te Awamutu
There was a thunderstorm in Te Awamutu on the afternoon of the 21st.
Heavy Rain
Heavy rain scoured out the track of the main trunk line a mile south of Te Awamutu station and halted expresses from Wellington to Auckland. The line was cleared by the morning of the 22nd.
Flooding
Shops were flooded and shopkeepers estimated that the total damage could be several thousands of pounds.
In Alexandra Street a block of eight shops were flooded from stormwater off higher ground.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tokanui
A local thunderstorm on the 21st almost reached tornado force and smashed down dozens of trees and brought down power and telephone lines in Tokanui and Waikeria.
Wellington
Lightning
at
Masterton
An electrical storm (the third in four days) brought torrential rain and cut the power supply throughout the district for three hours when lightning hit transformers.
Heavy Rain
Masterton recorded 1.47 in (3.73 cm) of rain in half an hour on the 22nd.
Flooding
Flooding was general in business and residential sections.
References
- Headline: North Island Hit By Heavy Storms, Widespread Damage.
- The New Zealand Herald, 23 January (Monday) 1961.
- Headline: Water Cuts Off 180 Telephones.
- The New Zealand Herald, 23 January (Monday) 1961.
January 1961 Central North Island Storm ( 1961-01-21 )
Heavy cloudbursts over the North Island caused widespread damage and flooding in town and country.
North Island
Heavy Rain
at
North Island
Duration: 2 days - There were heavy cloudbursts over the North Island on the 21st and 22nd of January which caused widespread damage and flooding in town and country.
The cloudburst were isolated and caused by an unstable airstream over the island.
Auckland
Flooding
at
Auckland
The Waitakeres and western districts bore the brunt of the storm in Auckland.
Flash floods blocked the Auckland-Helensville highway for half a mile for three hours on the 21st.
Landslide
A slip broke the 20-inch water main from the City Council's Waitakere dam to the filter station on the 21st. The water supply was cut for four hours while it was repaired. Areas affected were Waitemata County and Swanson supply districts.
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland City
Mechanics Bay recorded 1.3 in (3.30 cm) of rain on the 22nd.
Flooding
A telephone cable fault on the Great South Road caused by floodwater cut off about 180 subscribers in Greenlane early on the 22nd.
Heavy Rain
at
Waimauku
Waimauku and Reweti area recorded 5.5 in (13.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
Thousands of pounds' worth of damage was done to farmers' stock and equipment in the Waimauku and Reweti area.
Crops were swept away by torrential rain.
The torrential rain broke down a 15,000 gallon dam of a Waimauku market gardener. The damage was estimated at £1500 ($58,900 2010 dollars). Another gardener in the district also suffered £1000 ($39,300 2010 dollars) damage to his crops and dam.
A farmer in the area lost 40 hoggets in the flooding by the Waimauku Creek.
Waikato
Lightning
at
Te Awamutu
There was a thunderstorm in Te Awamutu on the afternoon of the 21st.
Heavy Rain
Heavy rain scoured out the track of the main trunk line a mile south of Te Awamutu station and halted expresses from Wellington to Auckland. The line was cleared by the morning of the 22nd.
Flooding
Shops were flooded and shopkeepers estimated that the total damage could be several thousands of pounds.
In Alexandra Street a block of eight shops were flooded from stormwater off higher ground.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tokanui
A local thunderstorm on the 21st almost reached tornado force and smashed down dozens of trees and brought down power and telephone lines in Tokanui and Waikeria.
Wellington
Lightning
at
Masterton
An electrical storm (the third in four days) brought torrential rain and cut the power supply throughout the district for three hours when lightning hit transformers.
Heavy Rain
Masterton recorded 1.47 in (3.73 cm) of rain in half an hour on the 22nd.
Flooding
Flooding was general in business and residential sections.
References
- Headline: North Island Hit By Heavy Storms, Widespread Damage.
- The New Zealand Herald, 23 January (Monday) 1961.
- Headline: Water Cuts Off 180 Telephones.
- The New Zealand Herald, 23 January (Monday) 1961.