NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
January 1961 North Island Cyclone ( 1961-01-16 )
A cyclone swept across Auckland peninsula and left a trail of destruction in its wake. There were heavy seas which lead to the drowning of a man near Whangamata. Ruatoria district was hit hard by the flooding and stock losses were very high.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
The North Island was hit by heavy rain and flooding from the 16th to the 18th January 1961.
Auckland
Multi Hazard
at
Auckland
A cyclone swept across Auckland peninsula early on the 17th and left a trail of destruction in its wake before spending itself in the Tasman Sea.
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland city
Auckland recorded 1.65 in (4.19 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Multi Hazard
Yachts were battered.
Farmers and holidaymakers north of Auckland were without power.
Aircraft schedules were disrupted.
Maritime / Coastal
There was further beach damage at Orewa and Cheltenham.
The seas came over Tamaki Drive near Ngapipi Road. Traffic was diverted along Shore Road.
A launch was smashed in the rocks at Mechanics Bay.
Waikato
Heavy Rain
at
Waihi
Waihi recorded 5.5 in (13.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel
Coromandel recorded 6.9 in (17.53 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Landslide
There were 35 small slips on the road from Coromandel to Port Charles.
Heavy Rain
at
Hamilton
Hamilton recorded 0.85 in (2.56 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Flooding
at
Tairua
Tairua, on the main road from Whitianga to Waihi, was cut off by floods for several hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Taupo
Taupo recorded 0.2 in (0.51 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whangamata
A 48 year old man drowned at Whangamata when the outboard motor of his 11-foot dingy failed to start and the falling tide swept the boat out of the harbour and into the tumbling surf. The waves soon swamped and overturned the boat. The man and his 11 year old son also in the boat were rescued but the father could not be revived.
Bay of Plenty
Heavy Rain
at
Tauranga
Tauranga recorded 2.03 in (5.16 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Gisborne
Flooding
at
Gisborne
The Morere Road was washed out near Tarawa bridge, 30 miles south of Gisborne.
More than 3000 sheep perished in the floodwaters from the Waiapu and Uawa Rivers.
Families from Mangatuna, Mangaheia, Tikitiki and Ruatoria fled from their homes.
The Gisborne-Wairoa highway was blocked by a washout but was reopened on the 18th.
Heavy Rain
at
Gisborne City
Darton Field meteorological station recorded 4.56 in (11.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 16th. This was the second highest fall recorded at Darton Field.
Heavy Rain
at
Ruatoria
Ruatoria recorded 7.9 in (20.07 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Almost 12 inches (30.48 cm) of rain had fallen in the district from the night of the 15th to the 18th.
Flooding
Telephone lines north of Ruatoria were down.
More than 1200 acres (486 ha) of farmland was engulfed in the flood.
Pastures were covered with a thick layer of silt and was scattered with the carcasses of dead sheep.
Three families from Ruatoria left their homes as floods threatened them on the night of the 16th.
One farm in the back country of Ruatoria lost more than a thousand sheep in the flood.
Flooding
at
Tikitiki
A family of five was rescued by motorboat when water from the Waiapa River surrounded their home, two miles south of Tikitiki.
Seven families from Tikitiki left their homes as floods threatened them on the night of the 16th.
Flooding
at
Te Araroa
The East Coast Road was blocked for most of the day near Te Araroa by floodwater.
Hawke's Bay
Heavy Rain
at
Napier
Napier recorded 2.23 in (5.66 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Heavy Rain
at
Waikaremoana
Waikaremoana recorded 4.12 in (10.46 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Taranaki
Heavy Rain
at
New Plymouth
New Plymouth recorded 0.63 in (1.60 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
References
- Headline: Gisborne district lashed by near record rainfall.
- The Gisborne Herald, 14 August 1965.
- Headline: Man drowned, two youths saved in boiling surf.
- The New Zealand Herald, 18 January (Wednesday) 1961.
- Headline: Trail of Damage From Cyclone.
- The New Zealand Herald, 18 January (Wednesday) 1961.
- Headline: Sheep Drowned By Thousands In East Coast.
- The New Zealand Herald, 19 January (Thursday) 1961.
January 1961 North Island Cyclone ( 1961-01-16 )
A cyclone swept across Auckland peninsula and left a trail of destruction in its wake. There were heavy seas which lead to the drowning of a man near Whangamata. Ruatoria district was hit hard by the flooding and stock losses were very high.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
The North Island was hit by heavy rain and flooding from the 16th to the 18th January 1961.
Auckland
Multi Hazard
at
Auckland
A cyclone swept across Auckland peninsula early on the 17th and left a trail of destruction in its wake before spending itself in the Tasman Sea.
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland city
Auckland recorded 1.65 in (4.19 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Multi Hazard
Yachts were battered.
Farmers and holidaymakers north of Auckland were without power.
Aircraft schedules were disrupted.
Maritime / Coastal
There was further beach damage at Orewa and Cheltenham.
The seas came over Tamaki Drive near Ngapipi Road. Traffic was diverted along Shore Road.
A launch was smashed in the rocks at Mechanics Bay.
Waikato
Heavy Rain
at
Waihi
Waihi recorded 5.5 in (13.97 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel
Coromandel recorded 6.9 in (17.53 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Landslide
There were 35 small slips on the road from Coromandel to Port Charles.
Heavy Rain
at
Hamilton
Hamilton recorded 0.85 in (2.56 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Flooding
at
Tairua
Tairua, on the main road from Whitianga to Waihi, was cut off by floods for several hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Taupo
Taupo recorded 0.2 in (0.51 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whangamata
A 48 year old man drowned at Whangamata when the outboard motor of his 11-foot dingy failed to start and the falling tide swept the boat out of the harbour and into the tumbling surf. The waves soon swamped and overturned the boat. The man and his 11 year old son also in the boat were rescued but the father could not be revived.
Bay of Plenty
Heavy Rain
at
Tauranga
Tauranga recorded 2.03 in (5.16 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Gisborne
Flooding
at
Gisborne
The Morere Road was washed out near Tarawa bridge, 30 miles south of Gisborne.
More than 3000 sheep perished in the floodwaters from the Waiapu and Uawa Rivers.
Families from Mangatuna, Mangaheia, Tikitiki and Ruatoria fled from their homes.
The Gisborne-Wairoa highway was blocked by a washout but was reopened on the 18th.
Heavy Rain
at
Gisborne City
Darton Field meteorological station recorded 4.56 in (11.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 16th. This was the second highest fall recorded at Darton Field.
Heavy Rain
at
Ruatoria
Ruatoria recorded 7.9 in (20.07 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Almost 12 inches (30.48 cm) of rain had fallen in the district from the night of the 15th to the 18th.
Flooding
Telephone lines north of Ruatoria were down.
More than 1200 acres (486 ha) of farmland was engulfed in the flood.
Pastures were covered with a thick layer of silt and was scattered with the carcasses of dead sheep.
Three families from Ruatoria left their homes as floods threatened them on the night of the 16th.
One farm in the back country of Ruatoria lost more than a thousand sheep in the flood.
Flooding
at
Tikitiki
A family of five was rescued by motorboat when water from the Waiapa River surrounded their home, two miles south of Tikitiki.
Seven families from Tikitiki left their homes as floods threatened them on the night of the 16th.
Flooding
at
Te Araroa
The East Coast Road was blocked for most of the day near Te Araroa by floodwater.
Hawke's Bay
Heavy Rain
at
Napier
Napier recorded 2.23 in (5.66 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Heavy Rain
at
Waikaremoana
Waikaremoana recorded 4.12 in (10.46 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
Taranaki
Heavy Rain
at
New Plymouth
New Plymouth recorded 0.63 in (1.60 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 17th.
References
- Headline: Gisborne district lashed by near record rainfall.
- The Gisborne Herald, 14 August 1965.
- Headline: Man drowned, two youths saved in boiling surf.
- The New Zealand Herald, 18 January (Wednesday) 1961.
- Headline: Trail of Damage From Cyclone.
- The New Zealand Herald, 18 January (Wednesday) 1961.
- Headline: Sheep Drowned By Thousands In East Coast.
- The New Zealand Herald, 19 January (Thursday) 1961.