NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
March 1998 Southern NZ Ex-tropical Cyclone Yali ( 1998-03-28 )
Ex-tropical cyclone Yali brought high winds, heavy rain, high seas and some flooding to all regions in the South Island as well as Wellington. One person was drowned in the sea in Taranaki.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 2 days - From the 28th till the 29th of March.
A deep depression, former tropical cyclone "Yali", moved from the Tasman Sea across the South Island, deepening rapidly. On the 28th, Yali accelerated southeast over the central Tasman, entrained in the northwesterly "steering" flow ahead of an approaching trough over Tasmania.
The storm's main impact was gale force winds, with heavy rain a less important factor.
Due to Yali's fast movement, the worst of the gales and heavy rain was confined to a period of less than 12 hours.
North Island
Heavy Rain
at
North Island
The Tararuas recorded rainfall totals exceeding 100 mm (10 cm).
South Island
Maritime / Coastal
at
South Island
Four Lynx ferry sailings were cancelled.
High Wind / Gust
Trees blown over by gales closed a major route between Nelson and Picton.
Taranaki
Maritime / Coastal
at
New Plymouth
Near New Plymouth, a youth was washed into the sea and drowned.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington
Northerly gales lifted house roofs.
Power was cut in some places.
A car was hit by a flying billboard, trees were felled and windows were blown in.
High Wind / Gust
at
Castlepoint
Castlepoint recorded a peak wind gust of 156 km/hr.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hataitai
The wind blew roofing off Badminton Hall.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Mt Kaukau recorded a peak wind gust of 165 km/hr.
Mt Kaukau recorded an average wind speed of 130 km/hr.
Flooding
at
Paraparaumu
In Paraparaumu house basements were flooded after a sudden deluge of rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Seatoun
Beacon Hill, Seatoun, recorded a peak wind gust of 139 km/hr.
Flooding
at
Waikanae
In Waikanae house basements were flooded after a sudden deluge of rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington International Airport
The high winds disrupted flights at Wellington Airport. Some aircraft were diverted from a dangerous landing in the airport and flights out of Wellington were delayed on the 29th.
Marlborough
High Wind / Gust
at
Marlborough
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Marlborough.
High Wind / Gust
at
Raupara
Rapaura Road was closed after trees were blown over by the winds.
Tasman-Nelson
Heavy Rain
at
Tasman-Nelson
Northwest Nelson recorded rainfall totals exceeding 100 mm (10 cm).
High Wind / Gust
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Nelson.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Ruby Bay
Rough seas and a high tide caused sea flooding at Ruby Bay.
West Coast
High Wind / Gust
at
West Coast
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred along the West Coast.
Heavy Rain
The West Coast recorded rainfall totals exceeding 100 mm (10 cm).
Heavy Rain
at
Cropp River
Cropp recorded 267 mm (26.7 cm) of rain - the heaviest rainfall for this event.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hokitika
Hokitika recorded an average wind speed of 65 km/hr - only the second gale averaging 34 knots (63 km/hr) or more in six years.
Hokitika recorded a peak gust of 102 km/hr.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Westport
Westport suffered sea flooding.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
Canterbury
Many inland roads became treacherous for driving.
High Wind / Gust
at
Banks Peninsula
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Banks Peninsula.
High Wind / Gust
at
Christchurch
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Christchurch.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mount Cook Aerodrome
Mt Cook Aerodrome recorded a wind gust of 156 km/hr.
Otago
Maritime / Coastal
at
Dunedin
The winds whipped up sea waves, which damaged the esplanade in Dunedin.
Southland
Multi Hazard
at
Southland
Southland was hit by severe winds and driving rain on the 29th.
High Wind / Gust
Power was cut to some areas.
Some roofs were lifted.
Winds averaged between 67 km/hr and 80 km/hr on the afternoon of the 29th, but eased to between 40 km/hr and 55 km/hr by the evening.
Flooding
There was minor flooding in places.
Rivers through the region were high but not extreme.
Heavy Rain
31 mm (3.1 cm) of rain fell in 13 hours from 3am to 11am on the 29th.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bluff
On the 29th, the sea level at Bluff was 1.65 m above mean sea level.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gorge Road
Power was lost in Gorge Road at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
Multi Hazard
at
Invercargill
Waters threatened to top the estuary stopbank, being level with the top of the stopbank at about 3pm. The high water level was caused by a combination of a high spring tide, wind and rain.
Maritime / Coastal
Paddocks on one farm were flooded as water spilled over low areas of the stopbank and water also gushed through a shed on the stopbank.
On the 29th, the Invercargill estuary at the Stead Street Bridge recorded a level of 2.51 m above mean sea level. This was the highest level recorded between 1992 and 2002 and was within 0.06 m of the record level. This had an annual return period of 11.2 years.
High Wind / Gust
Invercargill recorded a peak gust of 111 km/hr on the 29th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kennington
Power was lost in Kennington at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Peka
Power was lost in Te Peku at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waituna
Power was lost in Waituna at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
References
- Bradley, D. (2002). Storm surge and marine inundation. Environment Southland, Invercargill.
- Headline: Gales disrupt travel in region.
- The Evening Post, March 30 1998.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 73, June 1998.
- www.metservice/notable weather events.govt.nz
- Headline: Southland feels sting in tropical cyclone's tail.
- The Southland Times, 30 March 1998.
March 1998 Southern NZ Ex-tropical Cyclone Yali ( 1998-03-28 )
Ex-tropical cyclone Yali brought high winds, heavy rain, high seas and some flooding to all regions in the South Island as well as Wellington. One person was drowned in the sea in Taranaki.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 2 days - From the 28th till the 29th of March.
A deep depression, former tropical cyclone "Yali", moved from the Tasman Sea across the South Island, deepening rapidly. On the 28th, Yali accelerated southeast over the central Tasman, entrained in the northwesterly "steering" flow ahead of an approaching trough over Tasmania.
The storm's main impact was gale force winds, with heavy rain a less important factor.
Due to Yali's fast movement, the worst of the gales and heavy rain was confined to a period of less than 12 hours.
North Island
Heavy Rain
at
North Island
The Tararuas recorded rainfall totals exceeding 100 mm (10 cm).
South Island
Maritime / Coastal
at
South Island
Four Lynx ferry sailings were cancelled.
High Wind / Gust
Trees blown over by gales closed a major route between Nelson and Picton.
Taranaki
Maritime / Coastal
at
New Plymouth
Near New Plymouth, a youth was washed into the sea and drowned.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington
Northerly gales lifted house roofs.
Power was cut in some places.
A car was hit by a flying billboard, trees were felled and windows were blown in.
High Wind / Gust
at
Castlepoint
Castlepoint recorded a peak wind gust of 156 km/hr.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hataitai
The wind blew roofing off Badminton Hall.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Kaukau
Mt Kaukau recorded a peak wind gust of 165 km/hr.
Mt Kaukau recorded an average wind speed of 130 km/hr.
Flooding
at
Paraparaumu
In Paraparaumu house basements were flooded after a sudden deluge of rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Seatoun
Beacon Hill, Seatoun, recorded a peak wind gust of 139 km/hr.
Flooding
at
Waikanae
In Waikanae house basements were flooded after a sudden deluge of rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington International Airport
The high winds disrupted flights at Wellington Airport. Some aircraft were diverted from a dangerous landing in the airport and flights out of Wellington were delayed on the 29th.
Marlborough
High Wind / Gust
at
Marlborough
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Marlborough.
High Wind / Gust
at
Raupara
Rapaura Road was closed after trees were blown over by the winds.
Tasman-Nelson
Heavy Rain
at
Tasman-Nelson
Northwest Nelson recorded rainfall totals exceeding 100 mm (10 cm).
High Wind / Gust
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Nelson.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Ruby Bay
Rough seas and a high tide caused sea flooding at Ruby Bay.
West Coast
High Wind / Gust
at
West Coast
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred along the West Coast.
Heavy Rain
The West Coast recorded rainfall totals exceeding 100 mm (10 cm).
Heavy Rain
at
Cropp River
Cropp recorded 267 mm (26.7 cm) of rain - the heaviest rainfall for this event.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hokitika
Hokitika recorded an average wind speed of 65 km/hr - only the second gale averaging 34 knots (63 km/hr) or more in six years.
Hokitika recorded a peak gust of 102 km/hr.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Westport
Westport suffered sea flooding.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
Canterbury
Many inland roads became treacherous for driving.
High Wind / Gust
at
Banks Peninsula
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Banks Peninsula.
High Wind / Gust
at
Christchurch
Power cuts caused by fallen power lines occurred in Christchurch.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mount Cook Aerodrome
Mt Cook Aerodrome recorded a wind gust of 156 km/hr.
Otago
Maritime / Coastal
at
Dunedin
The winds whipped up sea waves, which damaged the esplanade in Dunedin.
Southland
Multi Hazard
at
Southland
Southland was hit by severe winds and driving rain on the 29th.
High Wind / Gust
Power was cut to some areas.
Some roofs were lifted.
Winds averaged between 67 km/hr and 80 km/hr on the afternoon of the 29th, but eased to between 40 km/hr and 55 km/hr by the evening.
Flooding
There was minor flooding in places.
Rivers through the region were high but not extreme.
Heavy Rain
31 mm (3.1 cm) of rain fell in 13 hours from 3am to 11am on the 29th.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bluff
On the 29th, the sea level at Bluff was 1.65 m above mean sea level.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gorge Road
Power was lost in Gorge Road at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
Multi Hazard
at
Invercargill
Waters threatened to top the estuary stopbank, being level with the top of the stopbank at about 3pm. The high water level was caused by a combination of a high spring tide, wind and rain.
Maritime / Coastal
Paddocks on one farm were flooded as water spilled over low areas of the stopbank and water also gushed through a shed on the stopbank.
On the 29th, the Invercargill estuary at the Stead Street Bridge recorded a level of 2.51 m above mean sea level. This was the highest level recorded between 1992 and 2002 and was within 0.06 m of the record level. This had an annual return period of 11.2 years.
High Wind / Gust
Invercargill recorded a peak gust of 111 km/hr on the 29th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kennington
Power was lost in Kennington at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Peka
Power was lost in Te Peku at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waituna
Power was lost in Waituna at about 1:15pm after trees fell on to power lines.
References
- Bradley, D. (2002). Storm surge and marine inundation. Environment Southland, Invercargill.
- Headline: Gales disrupt travel in region.
- The Evening Post, March 30 1998.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 73, June 1998.
- www.metservice/notable weather events.govt.nz
- Headline: Southland feels sting in tropical cyclone's tail.
- The Southland Times, 30 March 1998.