NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
May 1903 New Zealand Flooding
(
1903-05-25
)
Heavy rain brought flooding to Southland, Otago, Nelson and Taranaki.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 7 days - From the 25th till the 31st of May.
Taranaki
Landslide
at
Taranaki
The heavy rains played havoc with the Tarata and Purangi Zig-zags. A large slip took place on the former and it was a week before wheel traffic could be resumed.
Flooding
at
Inglewood
The Junction Road near Mr Peach's shop in Inglewood was like a river owing to the culvert getting blocked and considerable damage was sustained by Mr Peach, the water being about 1 foot (0.3 m) deep in the shop where a large quantity of boots and shoes were stored.
Flooding
at
Stratford
Great damage was done by rain and floods in the eastern portion of the Stratford County.
Heavy Rain
The rain in the district was the heaviest known for years.
Multi Hazard
At 4:30 on the morning of the 28th lightning struck the house of a man named Lefosky, separating one portion from the other. The man and his wife and children were sleeping in one of the severed portions. Shortly after a land slip swept away the portion of the house which was untouched by the lightning carrying it a considerable distance from its original position.
Tasman-Nelson
Heavy Rain
at
Nelson
Rain fell almost continuously during the five days up till the 29th.
Nelson received nearly 4 in (10.2 cm) of rain in five days.
Flooding
Considerable damage was done to roads and bridges.
Otago
Flooding
at
Otago
The dredges in the Tuapeka and Waipori districts suffered somewhat.
Flooding
at
Dunedin
Minor repairs wee needed on the Dunedin section of the railway line.
Heavy Rain
The weather cleared in Dunedin on the morning of the 31st, with only slight showers afterwards.
Flooding
at
Lawrence
The Taniwha and Lawrence dredges were practically stranded when floodwaters cut a new channel clear of the dredges.
Flooding
at
Milburn
The Tokomairiro River North (East) Branch overflowed and spread over farms at Milburn, with water around many stacks.
One Milburn farmer had 50 sheep drowned.
Flooding
at
Milton
Water spread over farms between Milton and Clarkesville.
The train from Invercargill to Milton was blocked by a washout and the passengers conveyed from Clarkesville to Milton by vehicles.
Flooding
at
Tokomairiro River
The flood in the Tokomairiro River on the 29th was the heaviest since 1892.
The flood did a good deal of damage.
The north branch overflowed and spread over the farms at Milburn.
Southland
Flooding
at
Southland
Rain was not particularly heavy on the 30th, but it was enough to raise the volume in the excessively flooded rivers.
Flooding
at
Mataura
At Mataura the falls were practically non-existent in the turbulent waters.
The paper mills had to cease work as the waterwheels were smothered.
The flood in the Mataura Borough on the 30th had a discharge of 570 cumecs (+/- 140). This was the annual maximum flood.
Flooding
at
Oreti River
The Oreti River overflowed its banks on the 30th and was even higher on the 31st.
The Oreti country was dotted and in some places invaded by flooding on the 31st.
Flooding
at
Otamita
The Matuara was in high flood at Otamita on the afternoon of the 30th, and was still rising.
Flooding
at
Otautau
The Aparima River was high but was not rising on the 31st.
The Otautau Stream was across the road above the township on the 31st. The protective bank prevented the flood from going through the streets.
Flooding
at
Waikaka Stream
The express train from the North on the 30th was delayed 90 minutes by a washout on the line at Waikaka. Traffic could not proceed past Gore during the afternoon.
References
- Surface Water Hydrology of the Mataura River Catchment.
- Headline: Rain and Flood, page 5 (Papers Past)
- Taranaki Herlad, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The weather.
- The Southland Times, 1 June 1903.
- Headline: United Press Association, Dunedin, May 31.
- The Southland Times, 1 June 1903.
- Headline: The Heavy Rainfall: Dunedin, May 29.
- The Southland Times, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The Heavy Rainfall: Nelson, May 29.
- The Southland Times, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The Heavy Rainfall: Stratford, May 29.
- The Southland Times, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The Weather, Heavy Floods in Otago, page 5 (Papers Past)
- Wanganui Herald, 30 May 1903.
May 1903 New Zealand Flooding
(
1903-05-25
)
Heavy rain brought flooding to Southland, Otago, Nelson and Taranaki.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 7 days - From the 25th till the 31st of May.
Taranaki
Landslide
at
Taranaki
The heavy rains played havoc with the Tarata and Purangi Zig-zags. A large slip took place on the former and it was a week before wheel traffic could be resumed.
Flooding
at
Inglewood
The Junction Road near Mr Peach's shop in Inglewood was like a river owing to the culvert getting blocked and considerable damage was sustained by Mr Peach, the water being about 1 foot (0.3 m) deep in the shop where a large quantity of boots and shoes were stored.
Flooding
at
Stratford
Great damage was done by rain and floods in the eastern portion of the Stratford County.
Heavy Rain
The rain in the district was the heaviest known for years.
Multi Hazard
At 4:30 on the morning of the 28th lightning struck the house of a man named Lefosky, separating one portion from the other. The man and his wife and children were sleeping in one of the severed portions. Shortly after a land slip swept away the portion of the house which was untouched by the lightning carrying it a considerable distance from its original position.
Tasman-Nelson
Heavy Rain
at
Nelson
Rain fell almost continuously during the five days up till the 29th.
Nelson received nearly 4 in (10.2 cm) of rain in five days.
Flooding
Considerable damage was done to roads and bridges.
Otago
Flooding
at
Otago
The dredges in the Tuapeka and Waipori districts suffered somewhat.
Flooding
at
Dunedin
Minor repairs wee needed on the Dunedin section of the railway line.
Heavy Rain
The weather cleared in Dunedin on the morning of the 31st, with only slight showers afterwards.
Flooding
at
Lawrence
The Taniwha and Lawrence dredges were practically stranded when floodwaters cut a new channel clear of the dredges.
Flooding
at
Milburn
The Tokomairiro River North (East) Branch overflowed and spread over farms at Milburn, with water around many stacks.
One Milburn farmer had 50 sheep drowned.
Flooding
at
Milton
Water spread over farms between Milton and Clarkesville.
The train from Invercargill to Milton was blocked by a washout and the passengers conveyed from Clarkesville to Milton by vehicles.
Flooding
at
Tokomairiro River
The flood in the Tokomairiro River on the 29th was the heaviest since 1892.
The flood did a good deal of damage.
The north branch overflowed and spread over the farms at Milburn.
Southland
Flooding
at
Southland
Rain was not particularly heavy on the 30th, but it was enough to raise the volume in the excessively flooded rivers.
Flooding
at
Mataura
At Mataura the falls were practically non-existent in the turbulent waters.
The paper mills had to cease work as the waterwheels were smothered.
The flood in the Mataura Borough on the 30th had a discharge of 570 cumecs (+/- 140). This was the annual maximum flood.
Flooding
at
Oreti River
The Oreti River overflowed its banks on the 30th and was even higher on the 31st.
The Oreti country was dotted and in some places invaded by flooding on the 31st.
Flooding
at
Otamita
The Matuara was in high flood at Otamita on the afternoon of the 30th, and was still rising.
Flooding
at
Otautau
The Aparima River was high but was not rising on the 31st.
The Otautau Stream was across the road above the township on the 31st. The protective bank prevented the flood from going through the streets.
Flooding
at
Waikaka Stream
The express train from the North on the 30th was delayed 90 minutes by a washout on the line at Waikaka. Traffic could not proceed past Gore during the afternoon.
References
- Surface Water Hydrology of the Mataura River Catchment.
- Headline: Rain and Flood, page 5 (Papers Past)
- Taranaki Herlad, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The weather.
- The Southland Times, 1 June 1903.
- Headline: United Press Association, Dunedin, May 31.
- The Southland Times, 1 June 1903.
- Headline: The Heavy Rainfall: Dunedin, May 29.
- The Southland Times, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The Heavy Rainfall: Nelson, May 29.
- The Southland Times, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The Heavy Rainfall: Stratford, May 29.
- The Southland Times, 30 May 1903.
- Headline: The Weather, Heavy Floods in Otago, page 5 (Papers Past)
- Wanganui Herald, 30 May 1903.