NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
May 1934 Taranaki Tornado and Canterbury Flooding
(
1934-05-17
)
A tornado hit New Plymouth causing two injuries and damage to powerlines and telegraph poles. A man died in Manawatu-Wanganui after a limb of a tree struck him in high winds. A series of cloudbursts over Banks Peninsula caused severe damage to roads.
Taranaki
Tornado
at
Taranaki
A tornado on the 17th caused minor damage in part of the Egmont district. Most damage was caused in New Plymouth.
The tornado whipped the top off a number of haystacks.
A cowshed was destoyed.
Iron and wood smashed telephone, light lines and aerials.
Tornado
at
New Plymouth
At 5:00pm on the 17th of May a tornado hit New Plymouth.
The tornado emerged from behind the Sugar Loaves at Moturoa and passed the waterfront region in a general easterly course. It swept into Whitely and Devon Streets.
Atleast eight house were unroofed or damaged. One house had its roof torn right away. Along Ngamotu beach two cottages were badly damaged. Eastward of Ngamotu Beach, along Whitely Street, one house had three quarters of the roofing torn away and two homes were rendered uninhabitable.
Some chimneys were demolished, many masts and poles broken, and trees blown down.
Telegraph poles were snapped.
The damage to power lines was widespread.
A young woman suffered a broken leg when her home was severely damaged.
Along Calvert Street a large Norfolk pine was broken in half.
Along Glen Almond Street an iron fence was blown down.
A young man was knocked down by car due to poor visibility and received a fractured thigh.
Multi Hazard
It was accompained by drenching rain from a cloud burst and by an electrical storm.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Multi Hazard
at
Alfredton
There was a storm on the 18th at Alfredton.
High Wind / Gust
Wind of almost gale force uprooted trees.
A 25 year old man died when the limb of tree struck him.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
Canterbury
There was a storm along coastal Canterbury from the 17th to the 18th.
Multi Hazard
at
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula and the surrounding districts were most severely affected by the violent southerly storm and flood.
Eastern Bay felt the full force of the storm first and then it hit the hills over Peraki, Kinloch County and Te Oka Valley.
Heavy Rain
A series of cloudbursts caused severe havoc to the roads in the district.
Flooding
It cost £7000 ($743,800 2009 dollars) to repair highways and roads in the Wairewa County.
It cost £2000 ($212,500 2009 dollars) to repair damage to roads and bridges in the Akaroa County including Eastern Bays and Wainui.
Kaituna Valley and Price's Valley were flooded.
The worst damage was at Peraki and Te Oka.
On the Te Oka road £500 ($53,100 2009 dollars) would be required to replace the metal that was washed away.
Landslide
Slips occurred everywhere causing damage of varying severity.
The largest slips overwhelmed the Te Oka road at intervals over a distance of three miles (4.8 km).
To clear the slips on the Te Oka road the esimated cost was £1000 ($106,300 2009 dollars).
Multi Hazard
at
Christchurch
Sleet, hail and snow fell in Christchurch.
High Wind / Gust
A south west gale blew with terrific force.
Fences, trees and electric light wires were torn away.
Winds were recorded at a speed of 70 mph (113 km/hr).
A roof of house landed 200 yards (183 m) away in a gully.
References
- Seelye, C.J., (1945). Tornadoes in New Zealand. N.Z.J.Sci. and Tech. 27(2): 166-174
- Headline: After the Cyclone.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Cyclone strikes town, five houses unroofed.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Cyclone's beginning, damage at Ngamotu.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Full force breask, womans terrible ordeal.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Hail and Snow, Storm in Canterbury.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Killed by tree.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Cyclone in country
- Taranaki Herald, 19 May 1934.
- Headline: £9000 Damage to Roads
- The Press, 17 May 1934,
May 1934 Taranaki Tornado and Canterbury Flooding
(
1934-05-17
)
A tornado hit New Plymouth causing two injuries and damage to powerlines and telegraph poles. A man died in Manawatu-Wanganui after a limb of a tree struck him in high winds. A series of cloudbursts over Banks Peninsula caused severe damage to roads.
Taranaki
Tornado
at
Taranaki
A tornado on the 17th caused minor damage in part of the Egmont district. Most damage was caused in New Plymouth.
The tornado whipped the top off a number of haystacks.
A cowshed was destoyed.
Iron and wood smashed telephone, light lines and aerials.
Tornado
at
New Plymouth
At 5:00pm on the 17th of May a tornado hit New Plymouth.
The tornado emerged from behind the Sugar Loaves at Moturoa and passed the waterfront region in a general easterly course. It swept into Whitely and Devon Streets.
Atleast eight house were unroofed or damaged. One house had its roof torn right away. Along Ngamotu beach two cottages were badly damaged. Eastward of Ngamotu Beach, along Whitely Street, one house had three quarters of the roofing torn away and two homes were rendered uninhabitable.
Some chimneys were demolished, many masts and poles broken, and trees blown down.
Telegraph poles were snapped.
The damage to power lines was widespread.
A young woman suffered a broken leg when her home was severely damaged.
Along Calvert Street a large Norfolk pine was broken in half.
Along Glen Almond Street an iron fence was blown down.
A young man was knocked down by car due to poor visibility and received a fractured thigh.
Multi Hazard
It was accompained by drenching rain from a cloud burst and by an electrical storm.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Multi Hazard
at
Alfredton
There was a storm on the 18th at Alfredton.
High Wind / Gust
Wind of almost gale force uprooted trees.
A 25 year old man died when the limb of tree struck him.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
Canterbury
There was a storm along coastal Canterbury from the 17th to the 18th.
Multi Hazard
at
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula and the surrounding districts were most severely affected by the violent southerly storm and flood.
Eastern Bay felt the full force of the storm first and then it hit the hills over Peraki, Kinloch County and Te Oka Valley.
Heavy Rain
A series of cloudbursts caused severe havoc to the roads in the district.
Flooding
It cost £7000 ($743,800 2009 dollars) to repair highways and roads in the Wairewa County.
It cost £2000 ($212,500 2009 dollars) to repair damage to roads and bridges in the Akaroa County including Eastern Bays and Wainui.
Kaituna Valley and Price's Valley were flooded.
The worst damage was at Peraki and Te Oka.
On the Te Oka road £500 ($53,100 2009 dollars) would be required to replace the metal that was washed away.
Landslide
Slips occurred everywhere causing damage of varying severity.
The largest slips overwhelmed the Te Oka road at intervals over a distance of three miles (4.8 km).
To clear the slips on the Te Oka road the esimated cost was £1000 ($106,300 2009 dollars).
Multi Hazard
at
Christchurch
Sleet, hail and snow fell in Christchurch.
High Wind / Gust
A south west gale blew with terrific force.
Fences, trees and electric light wires were torn away.
Winds were recorded at a speed of 70 mph (113 km/hr).
A roof of house landed 200 yards (183 m) away in a gully.
References
- Seelye, C.J., (1945). Tornadoes in New Zealand. N.Z.J.Sci. and Tech. 27(2): 166-174
- Headline: After the Cyclone.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Cyclone strikes town, five houses unroofed.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Cyclone's beginning, damage at Ngamotu.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Full force breask, womans terrible ordeal.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Hail and Snow, Storm in Canterbury.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Killed by tree.
- Taranaki Herald, 18 May 1934.
- Headline: Cyclone in country
- Taranaki Herald, 19 May 1934.
- Headline: £9000 Damage to Roads
- The Press, 17 May 1934,