NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
July 2008 Lower North Island Storm ( 2008-07-19 )
Huge swells caused havoc on lower North Island coasts along with heavy rain and high winds, mainly in the Wellington and Taranaki regions.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:30 am 19-Jul-2008: Rain heavy for a time today especially about the eastern Bay of Plenty ranges, further spells of heavy rain on Mt Taranaki until Sunday morning. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: eastern Bay of Plenty ranges and Mt Taranaki.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:28 pm 19-Jul-2008: Front with heavy rain moving off to the east of the North Island followed by bands of showers and thunderstorms. Some brief heavy falls in eastern Bay of Plenty and upper slopes of Mt Taranaki overnight Saturday. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and upper slopes of Mt Taranaki.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:56 am 20-Jul-2008: Showery westerly flow continuing today over northern and central New Zealand with a few more thunderstorms but warning lifted for upper slopes of Mt Taranaki and ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 11:38 am 21-Jul-2008: Heavy rain forecast for the West Coast. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: near the ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:00 pm 21-Jul-2008: Heavy rain expected over West Coast. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: the ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:06 am 22-Jul-2008: Heavy rain for West Coast. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:22 pm 22-Jul-2008: Heavy rain on West Coast tailing off. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:16 am 23-Jul-2008: Heavy rain over West Coast eases.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 5:08 pm 23-Jul-2008: Heavy downpours on Kapiti Coast and northern Wellington until mid evening today. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Wellington north of Johnsonville, the Hutt Valley and the Kapiti Coast.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:55 pm 23-Jul-2008: Rain has now eased, warning lifted.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:02 am 24-Jul-2008: Heavy snow in Canterbury foothills this morning and severe southerly gales for Wellington. Includes HEAVY SNOW WARNING for: Canterbury; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:36 pm 24-Jul-2008: Southerly gales in Wellington easing overnight, also snow showers about the Canterbury foothills continuing to ease. Includes HEAVY SNOW WARNING for: Canterbury; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:59 am 25-Jul-2008: Warning for heavy snow in Canterbury and severe gales in Wellington now lifted.
From the 19th to the 24th of July.
A deep low from the Tasman Sea brought tornadoes, gales, heavy rain and thousands of lightning strikes across New Zealand. A clash of the high- and low-pressure systems in the Tasman Sea and westerly winds brought rain and huge swells to parts of the country on the 23rd and 24th.
North Island
Maritime / Coastal
at
North Island
Swells of more than 6m pounded the west coast during the 23rd, from north of Auckland to the Kapiti Coast.
Heavy Rain
There was heavy rain throughout the lower North Island on the 23rd, which dissipated overnight.
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland
Wind gusts of between 100 km/hr and 110 km/hr buffeted both the Hauraki Gulf and Manukau Heads on the 23rd.
Landslide
at
Hunua
A slip in the Hunua Gorge in the Papakura area blocked half the road on the 24th.
Waikato
Maritime / Coastal
at
Mokau
The beach at Mokau got a hammering, with waves gouging away sand and some banks slumping.
High Wind / Gust
at
Golden Valley
At Golden Valley, gusts of up to 100 km/hr were recorded on the 23rd.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Raglan
At Raglan, the swells reached the scary height of 9m.
The waves were breaking 800m offshore. Residents said it was breaking as far out as it had done in five years.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Taharoa
Waves of up to 9m were recorded at Port Taharoa, south fo Kawhia, as part of west-southwest swells.
Landslide
at
Awakino Gorge
Small amounts of slip material came down on SH3 at the Awakino Gorge, just north of Awakau Bridge.
Taranaki
Lightning
at
Taranaki
At least 100 lightning flashes struck Taranaki on the night of the 19th, mostly between Stratford, Manaia and Waverley.
Multi Hazard
Violent weather lashed Taranaki from the 19th, with gales, thunderstorms and two small tornadoes.
Maritime / Coastal
Huge waves were reported in the Taranaki region on the 23rd.
Lightning
at
Ohangai
A bolt of lightning struck near an Ohangai home about 7:45pm on the 19th. The bolt went through a man sitting at his computer with earphones on, through the couch, and into his pregnant wife. The bolt also blew a fuse in the transformer up the road.
Tornado
at
Pungarehu
A small tornado ripped through a farm on Lower Parihaka Rd near Pungarehu on the 23rd, lifting roofs, flattening sheds and terrifying a mob of bobby calves. Damage would be in the thousands of dollars. Tornado was rated an F0 or F1.
Tornado
at
Midhirst
Around 7:50pm a tornado passed through Midhirst, leaving a line of havoc. On one property a chook house was completely destroyed and other animal cages, parts of fences, spouting, verandah poles and part of a shed roof were damaged. Damage would cost them hundreds. Neighbours were also affected by the tornado, but extent of the damage not known. One neighbour had his kids' playhouse completely moved up to their backdoor.
High Wind / Gust
at
Stratford
The local police force were kept busy during the night of the 19th, with power lines down, fallen trees and stock on the roads.
Heavy Rain
More than 41.5 mm (4.15 cm) of rain fell in Stratford on the 19th.
Lightning
Lightning was blamed for a fire that razed a building belonging to Union Yamaha in Stratford early on the morning of the 23rd. It caused $90,000 worth of damage, including $35,000-$40-000 worth of motorcycle stock.
Heavy Rain
at
Dawson Falls
178.5 mm (17.85 cm) of rain fell at Dawson Falls on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
New Plymouth
On the 22nd and 23rd, strong winds blew windows out, lifted a roof and blew out a 14m hoarding from a building site onto Devon St, narrowly missing a pedestrian.
An Italian exchange student (17 years old) badly broke her leg after strong winds blew her into a vehicle on South Rd outside Spotswood College about 8:30am on the 22nd. A gust of wind caught her umbrella as she crossed the road, and dragged her into the path of the car.
Maritime / Coastal
Part of the city's coastal walkway below Woolcombe Tce was closed on the 23rd due to the danger of waves crashing over it and there being nowhere for people to escape.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Port Taranaki
The swell peaked at 11m at the lunchtime high tide on the 23rd, with a high of 12.5 m recorded. The storm brought some of the biggest seas to hit the port in a number of years.
The massive swell caused the port to close the Lee Breakwater as well as the adjacent carpark which was getting pounded by waves on the 23rd. One ship was also delaying from berthing because of the waves on the 24th.
Just before lunch, huge swells violently snapped a ship's mooring line, hurling a 30kg steel thimble 100m across the port where it smashed into the passenger door of a parked SUV.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Heavy Rain
at
Levin
In Levin, heavy rain hindered the performance of the local water treatment plant. Residents were warned to boil all drinking water until further notice.
11 mm (1.1 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours in Levin on the 23rd.
Landslide
at
Manawatu Gorge
SH3, the Manawatu Gorge Road, was closed because of a slip after torrential rain late on the afternoon of the 23rd. It reopened on the 24th, although there were still rocks and debris on the road.
Wellington
Maritime / Coastal
at
Wellington
Huge waves pounded the beaches on the Kapiti Coast on the 23rd. People were warned to stay away from the shore.
Driving conditions were treacherous along the Kapiti Coast, with some smaller coast roads closed on the 23rd. Waves up to 5m high crashed over sea walls and onto roads. In some areas driftwood and debris was also thrown onto roads. There were long delays on the Centennial Highway (SH1).
The Wellington - Petone railway line was being monitored on the 24th because sea swells were threatening to wash onto the track.
There was some erosion of coastal dunes on the Kapiti Coast, but not as much as expected.
Landslide
A slip between Pukerua Bay and Whenua Tapu blocked the southbound lanes of SH1 and partially blocked the northbound side, causing lengthy delays on the afternoon of the 23rd.
High Wind / Gust
Wellington was hit by gale-force winds on the 24th.
Flooding
There was flooding in the Hutt Valley and the Kapiti Coast.
Trains between Wellington and Ngaio were cancelled and replaced by buses on the night of the 23rd because of flooding.
Water poured from coastal hills onto the roads, causing delays.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cook Strait
There were swells of up to 10m in Cook Strait on the 24th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kelburn
Wind speeds of 106 km/hr were registered in Kelburn on the morning of the 24th.
Trees were bending under the wind in Kelburn.
Heavy Rain
at
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt was the worst affected in the heavy rain falls on the 23rd, with 21 mm (2.1 cm) in 24 hours. Almost half that came down in 1 hour between 5 and 6 pm.
Heavy Rain
at
Masterton
27 mm (2.7 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours in Masterton on the 23rd.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Wind speeds of 117 km/hr were registered at Mt Kaukau at about 6am on the 24th.
Landslide
at
Ngaio
There was a minor train derailment in the Ngaio Gorge when a train from Wellington hit a slip between two tunnels just before 8pm on the 23rd. It took the front wheels of the first unit off the track, disabling the train. The Johnsonville line remained closed on the morning of the 24th.
Landslide
at
Ngauranga
About midday large rocks fell on SH1, closing three northbound lanes in Ngauranga Gorge near Johnsonville.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Paekakariki
Beach Rd in Paekakariki was closed on the 23rd. The Parade was also shut for about an hour during the midday high tide after waves ripped out the top layer of a new walkway behind the seawall and threw rocks and debris over the road.
A man had a narrow escape after he was swamped by a huge wave while taking photos of the storm. He blacked out after being dragged into the sea, but was rescued by a passer-by.
A long-time Paekakariki resident said the storm surges were the most detructive he'd seen in the area since 1976.
Flooding
Floodwater up to knee height in places temporarily shut the road through Paekakariki during the evening peak hour on the 23rd, causing long traffic queues. Surface flooding in Paekakariki caused long delays for motorists north of Wellington on the 24th. The southound lane through to Paekakariki was under water, with a depth close to the bottom of car doors in some places.
Landslide
There was a slip on SH1 at Paekakariki on the afternoon of the 23rd, which caused peak hour traffic delays.
Heavy Rain
at
Paraparaumu
16 mm (1.6 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours in Paraparaumu on the 23rd.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Paraparaumu Beach
Storm surges blocked a Paraparaumu Beach drain, sending water gushing through the ground floor of a house, destroying belongings including family photo albums.
High Wind / Gust
A tree fell on a road in Paraparaumu on the 24th, bringing down a power pole.
Flooding
at
Pauatahanui
Grays Rd from Plimmerton to Pauatahanui was closed because of flooding on the 24th.
Landslide
at
Rimutaka Hill
The Rimutaka Hill Road (SH2) was down to one lane on the morning of the 24th because of several slips.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Wellington Harbour
Only one inter-island ferry sailing was possible on the 24th due to huge swells. Three Interislander ferry passenger sailings and several overnight freight ferries were cancelled amid 5m swells. Two sailings were also cancelled on the morning of the 25th. Bluebridge cancelled three sailings on the 24th and its morning sailing on the 25th.
Wellington Harrbour had waves of up to 10m on the 24th.
Heavy Rain
at
Wellington International Airport
9 mm (0.9 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours at Wellington airport on the 23rd.
High Wind / Gust
Westerley winds disrupted flights in and out of Wellington Airport throughout the 24th. More than 20 flights were delayed or cancelled. Another two flights were cancelled on the 25th.
Winds gusted up to 120 km/hr on the 24th.
West Coast
Maritime / Coastal
at
Greymouth
The storm on the 23rd sent huge waves crashing over the Blaketown and Cobden tipheads, throwing concrete blocks metres. At Blaketown, some of the huge concrete blocks used to stop traffic were thrown back several metres, leaving only one in place.
References
- Headline: Weather warning: Snow for South Island, waves on road near Wellington.
- 3news.co.nz, Source: RadioLive, 23 July 2008, 12:55pm.
- Headline: Coastal North Island battered by massive waves following storms.
- 3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 23 July 2008, 6:32pm.
- Headline: Storm pummels tipheads.
- www.greystar.co.nz, 24 July 2008.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.). (2008). Climate summary for Winter 2008. Newsletter 114, September 2008. 9-10
- Headline: Wild weather on way.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 9:24am.
- Headline: Waves pound Kapiti Coast as storm sets in.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 2:04pm.
- Headline: Surface flooding halts traffic north of Wellington.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 2:04pm.
- Headline: Train problems for Wellington commuters.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 5:01am.
- Headline: Levin residents asked to boil water.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 7:04am.
- Headline: Wellington hit by slips and gale force winds.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 7:44am.
- Headline: Travel plans disrupted in Wellington.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 25 July 2008, 7:48am.
- Headline: Drivers warned as winter storm hits.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 1:16pm.
- Headline: Wet, wild and cold times ahead.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 8:33am.
- Headline: Traffic flows again after slip, heavy rain.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 9:56pm.
- Headline: Road conditions.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 8:05am.
- Headline: Wild weather forces ferry service cancellations.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 25 July 2008, 8:19am.
- Headline: Wild winter weather.
- www.stratfordpress.co.nz, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: 'Destructive' storm to hit New Zealand.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: NZPA and Dominion Post, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: 'No ordinary storm' to strike New Zealand.
- www.stuff.co.nz, 25 July 2008.
- Headline: Weather warning as waves hit road.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: Roads recovering after storm.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Rain to turn to snow as stormy weather continues.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Sunay Star Times, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Lightning zap travelled through head, couch, wife.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 2008.
- Headline: Twister shreds milking shed.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: Bertie counts blessings in barrier near-miss.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: Lightning may have sparked shed fire.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Storm surge batters coastline.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Port staff in firing line of steel missile.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 2008.
- Headline: Freak accident leaves student in hospital.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 2008.
- Headline: Karma has harsh lesson for woman who took boss' park.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 2008.
- Headline: Rough weather heading our way.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Storm lashes Taranaki, one injured.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: Newstalk ZB, 23 July 2008, 10:01am.
- Headline: Wind, rain lash lower North Island.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News, 24 July 2008, 7:49am.
- Headline: Nth Island in for a wild weekend.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 25 July 2008, 8:13am.
- Headline: Stormy weather lashes Welly again.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News, 25 July 2008, 1:13pm.
- MetService Email Lists
July 2008 Lower North Island Storm ( 2008-07-19 )
Huge swells caused havoc on lower North Island coasts along with heavy rain and high winds, mainly in the Wellington and Taranaki regions.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:30 am 19-Jul-2008: Rain heavy for a time today especially about the eastern Bay of Plenty ranges, further spells of heavy rain on Mt Taranaki until Sunday morning. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: eastern Bay of Plenty ranges and Mt Taranaki.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:28 pm 19-Jul-2008: Front with heavy rain moving off to the east of the North Island followed by bands of showers and thunderstorms. Some brief heavy falls in eastern Bay of Plenty and upper slopes of Mt Taranaki overnight Saturday. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and upper slopes of Mt Taranaki.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:56 am 20-Jul-2008: Showery westerly flow continuing today over northern and central New Zealand with a few more thunderstorms but warning lifted for upper slopes of Mt Taranaki and ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 11:38 am 21-Jul-2008: Heavy rain forecast for the West Coast. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: near the ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:00 pm 21-Jul-2008: Heavy rain expected over West Coast. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: the ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:06 am 22-Jul-2008: Heavy rain for West Coast. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:22 pm 22-Jul-2008: Heavy rain on West Coast tailing off. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Westland, also Paparoa Range.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:16 am 23-Jul-2008: Heavy rain over West Coast eases.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 5:08 pm 23-Jul-2008: Heavy downpours on Kapiti Coast and northern Wellington until mid evening today. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Wellington north of Johnsonville, the Hutt Valley and the Kapiti Coast.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:55 pm 23-Jul-2008: Rain has now eased, warning lifted.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:02 am 24-Jul-2008: Heavy snow in Canterbury foothills this morning and severe southerly gales for Wellington. Includes HEAVY SNOW WARNING for: Canterbury; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:36 pm 24-Jul-2008: Southerly gales in Wellington easing overnight, also snow showers about the Canterbury foothills continuing to ease. Includes HEAVY SNOW WARNING for: Canterbury; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Wellington.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:59 am 25-Jul-2008: Warning for heavy snow in Canterbury and severe gales in Wellington now lifted.
From the 19th to the 24th of July.
A deep low from the Tasman Sea brought tornadoes, gales, heavy rain and thousands of lightning strikes across New Zealand. A clash of the high- and low-pressure systems in the Tasman Sea and westerly winds brought rain and huge swells to parts of the country on the 23rd and 24th.
North Island
Maritime / Coastal
at
North Island
Swells of more than 6m pounded the west coast during the 23rd, from north of Auckland to the Kapiti Coast.
Heavy Rain
There was heavy rain throughout the lower North Island on the 23rd, which dissipated overnight.
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland
Wind gusts of between 100 km/hr and 110 km/hr buffeted both the Hauraki Gulf and Manukau Heads on the 23rd.
Landslide
at
Hunua
A slip in the Hunua Gorge in the Papakura area blocked half the road on the 24th.
Waikato
Maritime / Coastal
at
Mokau
The beach at Mokau got a hammering, with waves gouging away sand and some banks slumping.
High Wind / Gust
at
Golden Valley
At Golden Valley, gusts of up to 100 km/hr were recorded on the 23rd.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Raglan
At Raglan, the swells reached the scary height of 9m.
The waves were breaking 800m offshore. Residents said it was breaking as far out as it had done in five years.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Taharoa
Waves of up to 9m were recorded at Port Taharoa, south fo Kawhia, as part of west-southwest swells.
Landslide
at
Awakino Gorge
Small amounts of slip material came down on SH3 at the Awakino Gorge, just north of Awakau Bridge.
Taranaki
Lightning
at
Taranaki
At least 100 lightning flashes struck Taranaki on the night of the 19th, mostly between Stratford, Manaia and Waverley.
Multi Hazard
Violent weather lashed Taranaki from the 19th, with gales, thunderstorms and two small tornadoes.
Maritime / Coastal
Huge waves were reported in the Taranaki region on the 23rd.
Lightning
at
Ohangai
A bolt of lightning struck near an Ohangai home about 7:45pm on the 19th. The bolt went through a man sitting at his computer with earphones on, through the couch, and into his pregnant wife. The bolt also blew a fuse in the transformer up the road.
Tornado
at
Pungarehu
A small tornado ripped through a farm on Lower Parihaka Rd near Pungarehu on the 23rd, lifting roofs, flattening sheds and terrifying a mob of bobby calves. Damage would be in the thousands of dollars. Tornado was rated an F0 or F1.
Tornado
at
Midhirst
Around 7:50pm a tornado passed through Midhirst, leaving a line of havoc. On one property a chook house was completely destroyed and other animal cages, parts of fences, spouting, verandah poles and part of a shed roof were damaged. Damage would cost them hundreds. Neighbours were also affected by the tornado, but extent of the damage not known. One neighbour had his kids' playhouse completely moved up to their backdoor.
High Wind / Gust
at
Stratford
The local police force were kept busy during the night of the 19th, with power lines down, fallen trees and stock on the roads.
Heavy Rain
More than 41.5 mm (4.15 cm) of rain fell in Stratford on the 19th.
Lightning
Lightning was blamed for a fire that razed a building belonging to Union Yamaha in Stratford early on the morning of the 23rd. It caused $90,000 worth of damage, including $35,000-$40-000 worth of motorcycle stock.
Heavy Rain
at
Dawson Falls
178.5 mm (17.85 cm) of rain fell at Dawson Falls on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
New Plymouth
On the 22nd and 23rd, strong winds blew windows out, lifted a roof and blew out a 14m hoarding from a building site onto Devon St, narrowly missing a pedestrian.
An Italian exchange student (17 years old) badly broke her leg after strong winds blew her into a vehicle on South Rd outside Spotswood College about 8:30am on the 22nd. A gust of wind caught her umbrella as she crossed the road, and dragged her into the path of the car.
Maritime / Coastal
Part of the city's coastal walkway below Woolcombe Tce was closed on the 23rd due to the danger of waves crashing over it and there being nowhere for people to escape.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Port Taranaki
The swell peaked at 11m at the lunchtime high tide on the 23rd, with a high of 12.5 m recorded. The storm brought some of the biggest seas to hit the port in a number of years.
The massive swell caused the port to close the Lee Breakwater as well as the adjacent carpark which was getting pounded by waves on the 23rd. One ship was also delaying from berthing because of the waves on the 24th.
Just before lunch, huge swells violently snapped a ship's mooring line, hurling a 30kg steel thimble 100m across the port where it smashed into the passenger door of a parked SUV.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Heavy Rain
at
Levin
In Levin, heavy rain hindered the performance of the local water treatment plant. Residents were warned to boil all drinking water until further notice.
11 mm (1.1 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours in Levin on the 23rd.
Landslide
at
Manawatu Gorge
SH3, the Manawatu Gorge Road, was closed because of a slip after torrential rain late on the afternoon of the 23rd. It reopened on the 24th, although there were still rocks and debris on the road.
Wellington
Maritime / Coastal
at
Wellington
Huge waves pounded the beaches on the Kapiti Coast on the 23rd. People were warned to stay away from the shore.
Driving conditions were treacherous along the Kapiti Coast, with some smaller coast roads closed on the 23rd. Waves up to 5m high crashed over sea walls and onto roads. In some areas driftwood and debris was also thrown onto roads. There were long delays on the Centennial Highway (SH1).
The Wellington - Petone railway line was being monitored on the 24th because sea swells were threatening to wash onto the track.
There was some erosion of coastal dunes on the Kapiti Coast, but not as much as expected.
Landslide
A slip between Pukerua Bay and Whenua Tapu blocked the southbound lanes of SH1 and partially blocked the northbound side, causing lengthy delays on the afternoon of the 23rd.
High Wind / Gust
Wellington was hit by gale-force winds on the 24th.
Flooding
There was flooding in the Hutt Valley and the Kapiti Coast.
Trains between Wellington and Ngaio were cancelled and replaced by buses on the night of the 23rd because of flooding.
Water poured from coastal hills onto the roads, causing delays.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cook Strait
There were swells of up to 10m in Cook Strait on the 24th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kelburn
Wind speeds of 106 km/hr were registered in Kelburn on the morning of the 24th.
Trees were bending under the wind in Kelburn.
Heavy Rain
at
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt was the worst affected in the heavy rain falls on the 23rd, with 21 mm (2.1 cm) in 24 hours. Almost half that came down in 1 hour between 5 and 6 pm.
Heavy Rain
at
Masterton
27 mm (2.7 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours in Masterton on the 23rd.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Wind speeds of 117 km/hr were registered at Mt Kaukau at about 6am on the 24th.
Landslide
at
Ngaio
There was a minor train derailment in the Ngaio Gorge when a train from Wellington hit a slip between two tunnels just before 8pm on the 23rd. It took the front wheels of the first unit off the track, disabling the train. The Johnsonville line remained closed on the morning of the 24th.
Landslide
at
Ngauranga
About midday large rocks fell on SH1, closing three northbound lanes in Ngauranga Gorge near Johnsonville.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Paekakariki
Beach Rd in Paekakariki was closed on the 23rd. The Parade was also shut for about an hour during the midday high tide after waves ripped out the top layer of a new walkway behind the seawall and threw rocks and debris over the road.
A man had a narrow escape after he was swamped by a huge wave while taking photos of the storm. He blacked out after being dragged into the sea, but was rescued by a passer-by.
A long-time Paekakariki resident said the storm surges were the most detructive he'd seen in the area since 1976.
Flooding
Floodwater up to knee height in places temporarily shut the road through Paekakariki during the evening peak hour on the 23rd, causing long traffic queues. Surface flooding in Paekakariki caused long delays for motorists north of Wellington on the 24th. The southound lane through to Paekakariki was under water, with a depth close to the bottom of car doors in some places.
Landslide
There was a slip on SH1 at Paekakariki on the afternoon of the 23rd, which caused peak hour traffic delays.
Heavy Rain
at
Paraparaumu
16 mm (1.6 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours in Paraparaumu on the 23rd.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Paraparaumu Beach
Storm surges blocked a Paraparaumu Beach drain, sending water gushing through the ground floor of a house, destroying belongings including family photo albums.
High Wind / Gust
A tree fell on a road in Paraparaumu on the 24th, bringing down a power pole.
Flooding
at
Pauatahanui
Grays Rd from Plimmerton to Pauatahanui was closed because of flooding on the 24th.
Landslide
at
Rimutaka Hill
The Rimutaka Hill Road (SH2) was down to one lane on the morning of the 24th because of several slips.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Wellington Harbour
Only one inter-island ferry sailing was possible on the 24th due to huge swells. Three Interislander ferry passenger sailings and several overnight freight ferries were cancelled amid 5m swells. Two sailings were also cancelled on the morning of the 25th. Bluebridge cancelled three sailings on the 24th and its morning sailing on the 25th.
Wellington Harrbour had waves of up to 10m on the 24th.
Heavy Rain
at
Wellington International Airport
9 mm (0.9 cm) of rain was recorded in 24 hours at Wellington airport on the 23rd.
High Wind / Gust
Westerley winds disrupted flights in and out of Wellington Airport throughout the 24th. More than 20 flights were delayed or cancelled. Another two flights were cancelled on the 25th.
Winds gusted up to 120 km/hr on the 24th.
West Coast
Maritime / Coastal
at
Greymouth
The storm on the 23rd sent huge waves crashing over the Blaketown and Cobden tipheads, throwing concrete blocks metres. At Blaketown, some of the huge concrete blocks used to stop traffic were thrown back several metres, leaving only one in place.
References
- Headline: Weather warning: Snow for South Island, waves on road near Wellington.
- 3news.co.nz, Source: RadioLive, 23 July 2008, 12:55pm.
- Headline: Coastal North Island battered by massive waves following storms.
- 3news.co.nz, Source: 3 News, 23 July 2008, 6:32pm.
- Headline: Storm pummels tipheads.
- www.greystar.co.nz, 24 July 2008.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.). (2008). Climate summary for Winter 2008. Newsletter 114, September 2008. 9-10
- Headline: Wild weather on way.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 9:24am.
- Headline: Waves pound Kapiti Coast as storm sets in.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 2:04pm.
- Headline: Surface flooding halts traffic north of Wellington.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 2:04pm.
- Headline: Train problems for Wellington commuters.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 5:01am.
- Headline: Levin residents asked to boil water.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 7:04am.
- Headline: Wellington hit by slips and gale force winds.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 7:44am.
- Headline: Travel plans disrupted in Wellington.
- www.newstalkzb.co.nz, 25 July 2008, 7:48am.
- Headline: Drivers warned as winter storm hits.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 1:16pm.
- Headline: Wet, wild and cold times ahead.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 8:33am.
- Headline: Traffic flows again after slip, heavy rain.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 23 July 2008, 9:56pm.
- Headline: Road conditions.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 24 July 2008, 8:05am.
- Headline: Wild weather forces ferry service cancellations.
- www.radionz.co.nz, 25 July 2008, 8:19am.
- Headline: Wild winter weather.
- www.stratfordpress.co.nz, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: 'Destructive' storm to hit New Zealand.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: NZPA and Dominion Post, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: 'No ordinary storm' to strike New Zealand.
- www.stuff.co.nz, 25 July 2008.
- Headline: Weather warning as waves hit road.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: Roads recovering after storm.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Dominion Post, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Rain to turn to snow as stormy weather continues.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Sunay Star Times, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Lightning zap travelled through head, couch, wife.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 2008.
- Headline: Twister shreds milking shed.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: Bertie counts blessings in barrier near-miss.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 2008.
- Headline: Lightning may have sparked shed fire.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Storm surge batters coastline.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Port staff in firing line of steel missile.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 2008.
- Headline: Freak accident leaves student in hospital.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 2008.
- Headline: Karma has harsh lesson for woman who took boss' park.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 2008.
- Headline: Rough weather heading our way.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Waikato Times, 24 July 2008.
- Headline: Storm lashes Taranaki, one injured.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: Newstalk ZB, 23 July 2008, 10:01am.
- Headline: Wind, rain lash lower North Island.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News, 24 July 2008, 7:49am.
- Headline: Nth Island in for a wild weekend.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News and Newstalk ZB, 25 July 2008, 8:13am.
- Headline: Stormy weather lashes Welly again.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News, 25 July 2008, 1:13pm.
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