NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
October-November 2001 Upper North Island Thunderstorms
(
2001-10-31
)
Thunderstorms brought lightning, high winds and hail to parts of Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. A tornado struck near Whakatane, causing property damage, and another tornado occurred near Hamilton.
North Island
Multi Hazard
Duration: 5 days - From 31st October to 4th November.
On the 31st, an active squall line developed. The storm headed south, thunderstorms were embedded in another cold front, and unstable air within a trough of low pressure moved over northern areas. The front moved down the country at 50 km/hr, producing small explosions similar to a car's backfire when it struck patches of warm air.
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland
Early on the1 st, high winds swept over the North Shore, then moved across the harbour through Mission Bay to Onehunga.
Auckland recorded a peak wind speed of 150 km/hr.
Houses were damaged in the North Shore, Grey Lynn, Mission Bay, Onehunga and Mangere.
The Auckland Fire Service received 21 calls reporting storm damage from the night of the 31st/1st.
Multi Hazard
Auckland recorded a high of 26 degrees on the 31st - an October record.
The storm was the result of a line squall and a cold front of nasty weather meeting record high temperatures in Auckland. Explosions, or microbursts, produced high winds.
High Wind / Gust
at
Birkdale
High winds swept through Birkdale, uprooting trees and damaging at least three roofs at about 1am on the 1st.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mangere
In Mangere, 10 houses in one street suffered damage to their roofs.
High Wind / Gust
at
Onehunga
High winds damaged garage and and shed roofs in Onehunga.
Lightning
at
Takapuna
Severe lightning started over the North Shore around midnight on the 31st.
High Wind / Gust
High winds affected most of the North Shore, waking sleeping residents.
One North Shore roof was badly damaged, and two others had minor damage. Windows were also smashed.
The North Shore had winds of 150 km/hr.
Gales tore down trees, tossing one onto a nearby car.
Waikato
Tornado
at
Ohaupo
A tornado struck Ohaupo on the 3rd.
Hail
Hail stones were pebble sized.
The hail fell to a depth of 2 in (5 cm) thick.
Multi Hazard
A large number of trees were uprooted, and a showpiece garden was decimated.
Bay of Plenty
Tornado
at
Awakeri
A small tornado spawned from a thunderstorm and struck the Awakeri to Thornton area, about 6km south-west of Whakatane, just before noon on the 3rd. The tornado was last seen heading north out to sea in the early afternoon.
The tornado left a trail of damage from Awakeri towards the sea, carving a clear path through the countryside. Holes were punched through shelter belts and property was flung into nearby paddocks. Many trees were uprooted or had limbs torn from them, and a 12-metre high macrocarpa tree was snapped in half. Sheets of corrugated iron were left dangling from overhead power lines.
The tornado caused moderate property damage. Buildings were partly damaged or demolished, with roofs lifted and windows broken. One house was quite badly damaged and a garage was destroyed.
A number of power poles and trees were brought down on rural roads, causing some road delays.
The tornado missed any major built-up areas.
The tornado lasted for 15 minutes.
Tornado
at
Poroporo
A 10-metre long shed on Te Rahu Road was wrecked by the tornado.
Multi Hazard
at
Rotorua
Power failures were experienced in Rotorua on the night of the 31st.
Damage was reported in Rotorua.
Multi Hazard
at
Tauranga
Power failures were experienced in Tauranga on the night of the 31st.
Damage was reported in Tauranga.
Tornado
at
Whakatane
Power was cut to about 10,000 houses in Whakatane and surrounding rural areas for several hours, after the tornado blew debris down across lines and and downed power poles. Power supplies to about 10 homes would take a few days to be restored.
Several tornadoes were seen forming in the sky between Whakatane and Matata on the 4th, but no further damage was reported.
Wellington
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cook Strait
Cook Strait ferries were cancelled on the 31st.
There were waves of up to 8 m high.
References
- MacAskill, K. (2005). Greymouth March 10th Tornado.
- www.metservice, notable weather events.govt.nz.
- www.metservice.co.nz/ Learning Centre / Notable Weather Events Archives / 2001 Spring / 31 October - 4 November 2001.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 87, December 2001.
- Headline: High winds send tree crashing through roof.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 1 November 2001.
- Headline: Howling winds shatter balmy night.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 1 November 2001.
- Headline: Storms, winds, rain and tornadoes: this weekend we have it all.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 4 November 2001.
- Headline: Dash for life as tornado strikes.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 5 November 2001.
October-November 2001 Upper North Island Thunderstorms
(
2001-10-31
)
Thunderstorms brought lightning, high winds and hail to parts of Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. A tornado struck near Whakatane, causing property damage, and another tornado occurred near Hamilton.
North Island
Multi Hazard
Duration: 5 days - From 31st October to 4th November.
On the 31st, an active squall line developed. The storm headed south, thunderstorms were embedded in another cold front, and unstable air within a trough of low pressure moved over northern areas. The front moved down the country at 50 km/hr, producing small explosions similar to a car's backfire when it struck patches of warm air.
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland
Early on the1 st, high winds swept over the North Shore, then moved across the harbour through Mission Bay to Onehunga.
Auckland recorded a peak wind speed of 150 km/hr.
Houses were damaged in the North Shore, Grey Lynn, Mission Bay, Onehunga and Mangere.
The Auckland Fire Service received 21 calls reporting storm damage from the night of the 31st/1st.
Multi Hazard
Auckland recorded a high of 26 degrees on the 31st - an October record.
The storm was the result of a line squall and a cold front of nasty weather meeting record high temperatures in Auckland. Explosions, or microbursts, produced high winds.
High Wind / Gust
at
Birkdale
High winds swept through Birkdale, uprooting trees and damaging at least three roofs at about 1am on the 1st.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mangere
In Mangere, 10 houses in one street suffered damage to their roofs.
High Wind / Gust
at
Onehunga
High winds damaged garage and and shed roofs in Onehunga.
Lightning
at
Takapuna
Severe lightning started over the North Shore around midnight on the 31st.
High Wind / Gust
High winds affected most of the North Shore, waking sleeping residents.
One North Shore roof was badly damaged, and two others had minor damage. Windows were also smashed.
The North Shore had winds of 150 km/hr.
Gales tore down trees, tossing one onto a nearby car.
Waikato
Tornado
at
Ohaupo
A tornado struck Ohaupo on the 3rd.
Hail
Hail stones were pebble sized.
The hail fell to a depth of 2 in (5 cm) thick.
Multi Hazard
A large number of trees were uprooted, and a showpiece garden was decimated.
Bay of Plenty
Tornado
at
Awakeri
A small tornado spawned from a thunderstorm and struck the Awakeri to Thornton area, about 6km south-west of Whakatane, just before noon on the 3rd. The tornado was last seen heading north out to sea in the early afternoon.
The tornado left a trail of damage from Awakeri towards the sea, carving a clear path through the countryside. Holes were punched through shelter belts and property was flung into nearby paddocks. Many trees were uprooted or had limbs torn from them, and a 12-metre high macrocarpa tree was snapped in half. Sheets of corrugated iron were left dangling from overhead power lines.
The tornado caused moderate property damage. Buildings were partly damaged or demolished, with roofs lifted and windows broken. One house was quite badly damaged and a garage was destroyed.
A number of power poles and trees were brought down on rural roads, causing some road delays.
The tornado missed any major built-up areas.
The tornado lasted for 15 minutes.
Tornado
at
Poroporo
A 10-metre long shed on Te Rahu Road was wrecked by the tornado.
Multi Hazard
at
Rotorua
Power failures were experienced in Rotorua on the night of the 31st.
Damage was reported in Rotorua.
Multi Hazard
at
Tauranga
Power failures were experienced in Tauranga on the night of the 31st.
Damage was reported in Tauranga.
Tornado
at
Whakatane
Power was cut to about 10,000 houses in Whakatane and surrounding rural areas for several hours, after the tornado blew debris down across lines and and downed power poles. Power supplies to about 10 homes would take a few days to be restored.
Several tornadoes were seen forming in the sky between Whakatane and Matata on the 4th, but no further damage was reported.
Wellington
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cook Strait
Cook Strait ferries were cancelled on the 31st.
There were waves of up to 8 m high.
References
- MacAskill, K. (2005). Greymouth March 10th Tornado.
- www.metservice, notable weather events.govt.nz.
- www.metservice.co.nz/ Learning Centre / Notable Weather Events Archives / 2001 Spring / 31 October - 4 November 2001.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 87, December 2001.
- Headline: High winds send tree crashing through roof.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 1 November 2001.
- Headline: Howling winds shatter balmy night.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 1 November 2001.
- Headline: Storms, winds, rain and tornadoes: this weekend we have it all.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 4 November 2001.
- Headline: Dash for life as tornado strikes.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 5 November 2001.