NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
October 1900 New Zealand Storm
(
1900-10-28
)
Tasman-Nelson and Wellington experienced high winds which seriously damaged crops. The West Coast and Canterbury experienced flooding after heavy rains in the Southern Alps raised river levels.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 4 days - The weather event lasted from the 28th to the 31st of October.
Taranaki
Multi Hazard
at
New Plymouth
The Kanieri, which left Onehunga for Waitara, put in at the Breakwater on the morning of the 31st after a severe buffeting. During the storm a child died on board.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wairarapa
Duration: 2 days - The gale was severely felt in the Wairarapa district from the 30th to the 31st of October.
Such a gale had not been experienced there for years.
In the lower valley the wind blew with hurricane force.
Trees were uprooted, fences razed, windows blown in, iron roofs carried a long distance and chimneys blown over.
It was the worst since the Easter storm of 1897.
High Wind / Gust
at
Masterton
A good deal of damage was done to orchards in Masterton.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tauherenikau
The Wairarapa Racing Club's grandstand on the Tauherenikau racecourse is reported to be considerably damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington City
Locally little harm was done beyond the tangling up of wires and the blowing of the hulk Omega ashore.
Telegraphic communication with the South Island was interrupted.
Tasman-Nelson
High Wind / Gust
at
Tasman-Nelson
There was a strong northerly gale on the 29th.
Fruit trees suffered damage.
High Wind / Gust
at
Motueka
The old settlers declared that the gale was the severest known.
There was great damage to orchards. There was enormous damage to fruit crops reported and the plum crop was almost demolished.
Trees were uprooted.
Windows were blown in and the roof off a stable was blown clean away.
Gardens were devastated.
Flooding
at
Takaka
A big flood occurred in the Takaka district.
The main road at West Takaka was completely washed away and the bridge considerably damaged.
There was damage to crops, hop gardens etc.
Marlborough
High Wind / Gust
at
Blenheim
The gale was severely felt in the Marlborough district.
Flooding
The rivers were all very high.
Multi Hazard
Outlying districts suffered a good deal.
Multi Hazard
at
Tuamarina
At Tuamarina a flaxmill and shed were blown down and a number of sheep were lost.
West Coast
Multi Hazard
at
West Coast
Floods and gales caused damage in the coastal portion of the Buller district.
Flooding
The flood peaked on the 31st.
Flooding
at
Buller River
The flood level at Buller Bridge was approximately 3 ft (0.91 m) lower than the flood of 1896.
Flooding
at
Greymouth
Water entered a few houses in the lower part of town but no damage was reported.
Flooding
at
Matakitaki
Three spans of the Matakitaki Bridge was carried away.
There was no communication with the Four River Plain dredge.
Flooding
at
Westport
Flood level at Westport was the same as the flood of 1896.
The body of man was found on the south beach and probably came down the river.
Canterbury
Flooding
at
North Canterbury
Rivers were in heavy flood on the 30th.
A large area of country was underwater.
Stock losses were heavy.
Large areas of crops and potatoes were damaged.
Telegraph communications with the north were completely cut off.
Multi Hazard
at
Ashburton
A station in the Ashburton back country reported that every lamb was dead. It was feared that other stations were suffering equally severely as many were lambing at that time.
Flooding
at
Ashburton River
Heavy rain fell in the ranges and caused the Ashburton River to be in high flood.
Flooding
at
Chaneys
At Chaney's the water was into the vehicles. There was 2 ft (0.61 m) of silt at the bridge and traffic experienced difficulty passing the entanglement of telegraph wires right across the road at the north end of White's bridge.
The roads required repairs and the shingle was scoured out.
Multi Hazard
at
Christchurch
The rain, snow and cold winds proved disasterous to lambing and to flocks on the hills.
Flooding
at
Eyre River
Eyre River overflowed near Swannanoa and Eyreton.
There was 90 stock lost from one farm.
For weeks railway communication was cut off.
Eyre River was a turbulent stream that overran country at West Eyreton.
There was damage to crops for several residents.
The Eyre River, swollen with torrential rain at Oxford, spread out from Mr Butchers wool works to the girder bridge. It caused flooding in the vicinity of the Eyreton railway junction.
Flooding
at
Kaiapoi
The Waimakariri River was up to the girders of the Kaiapoi traffic bridge and into the lower dyehouse at the woollen mill.
Flooding
at
Rakaia River
A big fresh occurred in the Rakaia River which is higher than for many years.
Flooding
at
Waiau River
The Waiau Bridge approach was washed away.
Flooding
at
Waimakariri River
Large rainfall on the Southern Alps caused the Waimakariri River to be in flood.
Waimakariri overflowed its banks
The river level was only 18 in (0.46 m) below that of the July 6th 1887 flood.
Flooding obstructed traffic on the Main North Road.
The overflow point reached 3-4 ft (0.91-1.22 m) across the main road at Chaneys and at the north end of the bridge.
Flooding uprooted the main telegraph and telephone line.
Lower down the inundation spread on to lands of crops and grass, then returned to the main river.
Backed up by the main branch current, the north branch through Kaiapoi was soon a lake within its enbankments.
References
- Cowie, C.A.: Attwood, A.K. (1957) Floods in New Zealand 1920-53, The Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand, p.239.
- Headline: Gale and Storm, Rough Weather at Wairarapa, page 4, column 1
- Thames Star, 1 November (Thursday) 1900.
- Headline: The Gale at Motueka.
- The Nelson Evening Mail, 29 October 1900.
- Headline: The Floods on the West Coast.
- The Nelson Evening Mail, 31 October 1900.
- Headline: The Westerly Gale, page 5, column 1.
- The New Zealand Herald, 1 November (Thursday) 1900.
- Headline: The Late Gale, page 5, column 3.
- The New Zealand Herald, 2 November (Friday) 1900.
- Headline: THE FLOODS, HOW THE WAIMAKARIRI IS BEHAVING
- The Press, 31 October 1900.
- Headline: Floods and Storms.
- The West Coast Times, 30 October 1900.
October 1900 New Zealand Storm
(
1900-10-28
)
Tasman-Nelson and Wellington experienced high winds which seriously damaged crops. The West Coast and Canterbury experienced flooding after heavy rains in the Southern Alps raised river levels.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 4 days - The weather event lasted from the 28th to the 31st of October.
Taranaki
Multi Hazard
at
New Plymouth
The Kanieri, which left Onehunga for Waitara, put in at the Breakwater on the morning of the 31st after a severe buffeting. During the storm a child died on board.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wairarapa
Duration: 2 days - The gale was severely felt in the Wairarapa district from the 30th to the 31st of October.
Such a gale had not been experienced there for years.
In the lower valley the wind blew with hurricane force.
Trees were uprooted, fences razed, windows blown in, iron roofs carried a long distance and chimneys blown over.
It was the worst since the Easter storm of 1897.
High Wind / Gust
at
Masterton
A good deal of damage was done to orchards in Masterton.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tauherenikau
The Wairarapa Racing Club's grandstand on the Tauherenikau racecourse is reported to be considerably damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington City
Locally little harm was done beyond the tangling up of wires and the blowing of the hulk Omega ashore.
Telegraphic communication with the South Island was interrupted.
Tasman-Nelson
High Wind / Gust
at
Tasman-Nelson
There was a strong northerly gale on the 29th.
Fruit trees suffered damage.
High Wind / Gust
at
Motueka
The old settlers declared that the gale was the severest known.
There was great damage to orchards. There was enormous damage to fruit crops reported and the plum crop was almost demolished.
Trees were uprooted.
Windows were blown in and the roof off a stable was blown clean away.
Gardens were devastated.
Flooding
at
Takaka
A big flood occurred in the Takaka district.
The main road at West Takaka was completely washed away and the bridge considerably damaged.
There was damage to crops, hop gardens etc.
Marlborough
High Wind / Gust
at
Blenheim
The gale was severely felt in the Marlborough district.
Flooding
The rivers were all very high.
Multi Hazard
Outlying districts suffered a good deal.
Multi Hazard
at
Tuamarina
At Tuamarina a flaxmill and shed were blown down and a number of sheep were lost.
West Coast
Multi Hazard
at
West Coast
Floods and gales caused damage in the coastal portion of the Buller district.
Flooding
The flood peaked on the 31st.
Flooding
at
Buller River
The flood level at Buller Bridge was approximately 3 ft (0.91 m) lower than the flood of 1896.
Flooding
at
Greymouth
Water entered a few houses in the lower part of town but no damage was reported.
Flooding
at
Matakitaki
Three spans of the Matakitaki Bridge was carried away.
There was no communication with the Four River Plain dredge.
Flooding
at
Westport
Flood level at Westport was the same as the flood of 1896.
The body of man was found on the south beach and probably came down the river.
Canterbury
Flooding
at
North Canterbury
Rivers were in heavy flood on the 30th.
A large area of country was underwater.
Stock losses were heavy.
Large areas of crops and potatoes were damaged.
Telegraph communications with the north were completely cut off.
Multi Hazard
at
Ashburton
A station in the Ashburton back country reported that every lamb was dead. It was feared that other stations were suffering equally severely as many were lambing at that time.
Flooding
at
Ashburton River
Heavy rain fell in the ranges and caused the Ashburton River to be in high flood.
Flooding
at
Chaneys
At Chaney's the water was into the vehicles. There was 2 ft (0.61 m) of silt at the bridge and traffic experienced difficulty passing the entanglement of telegraph wires right across the road at the north end of White's bridge.
The roads required repairs and the shingle was scoured out.
Multi Hazard
at
Christchurch
The rain, snow and cold winds proved disasterous to lambing and to flocks on the hills.
Flooding
at
Eyre River
Eyre River overflowed near Swannanoa and Eyreton.
There was 90 stock lost from one farm.
For weeks railway communication was cut off.
Eyre River was a turbulent stream that overran country at West Eyreton.
There was damage to crops for several residents.
The Eyre River, swollen with torrential rain at Oxford, spread out from Mr Butchers wool works to the girder bridge. It caused flooding in the vicinity of the Eyreton railway junction.
Flooding
at
Kaiapoi
The Waimakariri River was up to the girders of the Kaiapoi traffic bridge and into the lower dyehouse at the woollen mill.
Flooding
at
Rakaia River
A big fresh occurred in the Rakaia River which is higher than for many years.
Flooding
at
Waiau River
The Waiau Bridge approach was washed away.
Flooding
at
Waimakariri River
Large rainfall on the Southern Alps caused the Waimakariri River to be in flood.
Waimakariri overflowed its banks
The river level was only 18 in (0.46 m) below that of the July 6th 1887 flood.
Flooding obstructed traffic on the Main North Road.
The overflow point reached 3-4 ft (0.91-1.22 m) across the main road at Chaneys and at the north end of the bridge.
Flooding uprooted the main telegraph and telephone line.
Lower down the inundation spread on to lands of crops and grass, then returned to the main river.
Backed up by the main branch current, the north branch through Kaiapoi was soon a lake within its enbankments.
References
- Cowie, C.A.: Attwood, A.K. (1957) Floods in New Zealand 1920-53, The Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand, p.239.
- Headline: Gale and Storm, Rough Weather at Wairarapa, page 4, column 1
- Thames Star, 1 November (Thursday) 1900.
- Headline: The Gale at Motueka.
- The Nelson Evening Mail, 29 October 1900.
- Headline: The Floods on the West Coast.
- The Nelson Evening Mail, 31 October 1900.
- Headline: The Westerly Gale, page 5, column 1.
- The New Zealand Herald, 1 November (Thursday) 1900.
- Headline: The Late Gale, page 5, column 3.
- The New Zealand Herald, 2 November (Friday) 1900.
- Headline: THE FLOODS, HOW THE WAIMAKARIRI IS BEHAVING
- The Press, 31 October 1900.
- Headline: Floods and Storms.
- The West Coast Times, 30 October 1900.