NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
October 2000 New Zealand Storm
(
2000-09-30
)
5-30 years
Many parts of New Zealand experienced heavy rain, flooding and high winds. Property was damaged and roads were closed. Two fishermen were drowned in Auckland, and two men were washed into the flooded Whanganui River, one being injured and one missing. A person was also injured in a traffic accident in Wellington.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 4 days - From 30th September to 3rd October.
The rainfall was a result of a slow-moving front crossing the central North Island as part of a moist west-northwesterly airflow. A dominant anti-cyclone lying to the north-east of the North Island hindered the progress of the front. The band of rain moved off to the east on the 2nd.
North Island
Heavy Rain
at
North Island
Heavy rain fell over the central North Island on the 1st.
Flooding
There was widespread surface flooding and many road closures.
Multi Hazard
Heavy rain and high winds hit the lower North Island on the 2nd.
Motorists in the Wellington, Wairarapa and Manawatu areas were urged to take care, as slips and flooding caused problems on the roads on the 2nd. Rivers overflowed, vehicles crashed and roads were cut.
Auckland
Multi Hazard
at
Beachlands
The bodies of two fishermen were found floating in Tamaki Strait near Beachlands. It was thought that their dinghy capsized in strong winds and a moderate chop on the 2nd.
Waikato
Flooding
at
Waikato
Rainfall in the Taupo, Waipa and Lower Waikato catchments over a three-day period from 30th September to 2nd October resulted in significant flooding.
River levels in King Country rose on the 2nd because of heavy rain, but stopbanks held.
Significant flooding occurred in the Mangaokewa, Mangapu, and Waitomo Valley floors.
Multi Hazard
Surface flooding and slips caused damage and road closures in the King Country. State Highways 3, 4 and 30 were closed for periods of time.
Approximately $450,000 ($560,000 2008 dollars) of roading damage occurred in the King Country and Taupo districts.
Multi Hazard
at
Benneydale
Sate Highway 30 from Benneydale to Kopaki was blocked to light vehicles on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo rose 0.27 m to a level of 356.68 m.
Rainfall caused an increase in the Lake Taupo water level of approximately 340 mm (34.0 cm).
Heavy Rain
at
Ngaroma
Ngaroma recorded around 300 mm (30.0 cm) of rain in five days from the 29th to the 3rd.
Flooding
at
Ngaruawahia
The Waikato River at Ngaruawahia reached a level of 12.19 m on the 5th.
The Waikato River at Ngaruawahia had a peak flow of 923 cumecs on the 5th. This was a five year event.
Flooding
at
Otewa
The Waipa River at Otewa reached a level of 4.77 m on the 2nd.
The Waipa River at Otewa had a peak flow of 244 cumecs on the 2nd. This was a 10 year event.
Flooding
at
Otorohanga
The Otorohanga reached a level of 33.15 m on the 3rd.
The Otorohanga had a peak flow of 360 cumecs on the 3rd. This was a 30 year event.
Flooding
at
Tauranga-Taupo River
The Tauranga-Taupo River reached a level of 2.76 m on the 2nd.
The Tauranga-Taupo River had a peak flow of 268 cumecs on the 2nd. This was a 30 year event.
There were road closures at the Tauranga-Taupo River.
Flooding
at
Te Kuiti
The Te Kuiti River reached a level of 51.6 m on the 3rd.
The Te Kuiti River had a peak flow of 77cumecs on the 3rd. This was a five year event.
Flooding
at
Tongariro River
The Tongariro River reached a level of 3.62 m on the 3rd.
The Tongariro River had a peak flow of 488 cumecs on the 3rd. This was a five year event.
Heavy Rain
at
Waitanguru
Waitanguru recorded around 300 mm (30.0 cm) of rain in five days from the 29th to the 3rd.
Flooding
at
Whatawhata
The Waipa River at Whatawhata reached a level of 17.67 m on the 4th.
The Waipa River at Whatawhata had a peak flow of 588 cumecs on the 4th. This was a five year event.
Taranaki
Heavy Rain
at
Taranaki
Heavy rain fell in parts of Taranaki. On the 2nd, rainfall rates were falling off in all areas except the north-eastern hill country.
Flooding
Rivers in the eastern hill country were still flowing at a high level.
Multi Hazard
Surface flooding and slips occurred in Taranaki.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
Some roads in the Wanganui district were closed after surface flooding.
The Whanganui River was swollen after heavy rain.
The Manawatu River's spillway was opened at midnight on the 2nd to take the pressure off 30km of river.
There was extensive surface flooding in the Manawatu region.
Landslide
State Highway 3 from Patea to Waverley was reduced to one lane on the 2nd because of slips.
Multi Hazard
In the Manawatu district, persistent rain led to flooding and slips, which forced roads to close.
Flooding
at
Atene Pa
Two men were washed into the swiftly flowing Whanganui River at around 2:30pm on the 3rd while crossing in a gondola-like cage suspended from a cableway crossing. A 38-year-old man was missing, while a 19-year-old was rescued.
The 19-year-old was treated at Wanganui Hospital for hypothermia and shock.
Flooding
at
Eketahuna
A house at Eketahuna was evacuated.
Flooding
at
Palmerston North
The Manawatu River at Palmerston North peaked at 5.5 m at 2am on the 3rd, slightly below the 5.8 m peak of November 1999.
Flooding
at
Pipiriki
The Whanganui River at Pipiriki peaked at 13.7m on the night of the 2nd, and slowly subsided on the 3rd.
Flooding
at
Taumarunui
On the 3rd, after days of heavy rain, flooding swept away 6m of ground beneath the North Island main trunk railway line north of Taumarunui. 25 m of the line was left suspended at around 10:30am. Detours and delays would continue until the 5th.
Flooding
at
Wanganui
Stormwater drains overflowed in the town on the 2nd.
On the 3rd, volunteers worked frantically to stop the Whanganui River breaching the Kowhai Park stopbank and flooding houses. The bank had a big crack in it.
River levels were similar to the last flood in October 1998.
Wellington
Flooding
at
Wellington
Wairarapa farms had surface flooding at lower levels.
State Highway 2 between Carterton and Masterton was closed for a time.
Landslide
On the Kapiti Coast, slips and fallen trees closed some roads.
Flooding
at
Hutt River
The Hutt River had a 5-10 year flood.
Multi Hazard
at
Lake Wairarapa
There were road closures in Wairarapa Valley.
Flooding
at
Lower Hutt
In Lower Hutt, police removed cars from a carpark to protect them from flooding as the Hutt River rose rapidly.
A flood surge began in Lower Hutt just on midday on the 2nd when water began spilling into the riverbank carpark.
Surface flooding was reported in 30 streets in Hutt City.
Flooding
at
Martinborough
Martinborough remained on high alert on the night of the 2nd, as the Ruamahunga River approached its flood peak.
There were some minor breaches of stopbanks on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Otaihanga
The Waikanae River burst its banks at Otaihanga shortly after noon on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Otaki
A bridge near Otaki was seriously damaged by flood waters.
The Otaki River had a 5-10 year flood.
Heavy Rain
One person was flown to Palmerston North Hospital with injuries after a milk truck ran off the road on State Highway 1 north of Otaki.
Flooding
at
Otaki Beach
Several houses at the southern end of Otaki Beach were surrounded in ankle-deep water.
Flooding
at
Ruamahanga River
The Ruamahanga River flooded large areas on the 2nd, with homes isolated.
Roads were closed due to flood waters.
Heavy Rain
at
Tararua Range
The Tararuas recorded 750 mm (75.0 cm) of rain in 72 hours.
The main catchment site in Tararua Ranges recorded 780 mm (78.0 cm) of rain in three days.
Heavy Rain
at
Tawa
A 4-wheel drive flipped on State Highway 1 at the Tawa interchange at 7:25am on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Waipoua River
The Waipoua River burst its banks north of Masterton, flooding surrounding farms and low-lying areas.
West Coast
Lightning
at
West Coast
Large areas of south Westland were left without phones on the 2nd after lightning struck a Telecom tower. About 800 homes were affected.
Canterbury
High Wind / Gust
at
Canterbury
All parts of the Canterbury region suffered from strong north-west gusts on the 2nd. Wind gusts damaged trees and power poles.
Several roofs were lifted and chimneys were damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Christchurch
Air traffic controllers reported winds of 20-30 knots (37-56 km/hr), gusting up to 50 knots (93 km/hr), on the 2nd.
Some flights were running late on the 2nd.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kaikoura
Kaikoura had gale force winds gusting up to 119 km/hr.
High Wind / Gust
at
Le Bons Bay
Le Bons Bay experienced an average wind speed of 93 km/hr on the 2nd.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lyttelton
Lyttelton had an average wind speed of 74 km/hr on the 2nd.
At Lyttelton Port, work on the docks was halted after several containers were blown over, but this did not affect business.
Otago
Flooding
at
Queenstown
Surface flooding occurred in the Queenstown area on the 1st.
References
- Environment Waikato Flood Document (CD).
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, Floods to 30 Sep 2005.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, to 31st May 2006.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 83, December 2000.
- Headline: 'Foolish act' costs fishermen their lives.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 3 October 2000.
- Headline: Man lost as cage swamped.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 4 October 2000.
October 2000 New Zealand Storm
(
2000-09-30
)
5-30 years
Many parts of New Zealand experienced heavy rain, flooding and high winds. Property was damaged and roads were closed. Two fishermen were drowned in Auckland, and two men were washed into the flooded Whanganui River, one being injured and one missing. A person was also injured in a traffic accident in Wellington.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 4 days - From 30th September to 3rd October.
The rainfall was a result of a slow-moving front crossing the central North Island as part of a moist west-northwesterly airflow. A dominant anti-cyclone lying to the north-east of the North Island hindered the progress of the front. The band of rain moved off to the east on the 2nd.
North Island
Heavy Rain
at
North Island
Heavy rain fell over the central North Island on the 1st.
Flooding
There was widespread surface flooding and many road closures.
Multi Hazard
Heavy rain and high winds hit the lower North Island on the 2nd.
Motorists in the Wellington, Wairarapa and Manawatu areas were urged to take care, as slips and flooding caused problems on the roads on the 2nd. Rivers overflowed, vehicles crashed and roads were cut.
Auckland
Multi Hazard
at
Beachlands
The bodies of two fishermen were found floating in Tamaki Strait near Beachlands. It was thought that their dinghy capsized in strong winds and a moderate chop on the 2nd.
Waikato
Flooding
at
Waikato
Rainfall in the Taupo, Waipa and Lower Waikato catchments over a three-day period from 30th September to 2nd October resulted in significant flooding.
River levels in King Country rose on the 2nd because of heavy rain, but stopbanks held.
Significant flooding occurred in the Mangaokewa, Mangapu, and Waitomo Valley floors.
Multi Hazard
Surface flooding and slips caused damage and road closures in the King Country. State Highways 3, 4 and 30 were closed for periods of time.
Approximately $450,000 ($560,000 2008 dollars) of roading damage occurred in the King Country and Taupo districts.
Multi Hazard
at
Benneydale
Sate Highway 30 from Benneydale to Kopaki was blocked to light vehicles on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo rose 0.27 m to a level of 356.68 m.
Rainfall caused an increase in the Lake Taupo water level of approximately 340 mm (34.0 cm).
Heavy Rain
at
Ngaroma
Ngaroma recorded around 300 mm (30.0 cm) of rain in five days from the 29th to the 3rd.
Flooding
at
Ngaruawahia
The Waikato River at Ngaruawahia reached a level of 12.19 m on the 5th.
The Waikato River at Ngaruawahia had a peak flow of 923 cumecs on the 5th. This was a five year event.
Flooding
at
Otewa
The Waipa River at Otewa reached a level of 4.77 m on the 2nd.
The Waipa River at Otewa had a peak flow of 244 cumecs on the 2nd. This was a 10 year event.
Flooding
at
Otorohanga
The Otorohanga reached a level of 33.15 m on the 3rd.
The Otorohanga had a peak flow of 360 cumecs on the 3rd. This was a 30 year event.
Flooding
at
Tauranga-Taupo River
The Tauranga-Taupo River reached a level of 2.76 m on the 2nd.
The Tauranga-Taupo River had a peak flow of 268 cumecs on the 2nd. This was a 30 year event.
There were road closures at the Tauranga-Taupo River.
Flooding
at
Te Kuiti
The Te Kuiti River reached a level of 51.6 m on the 3rd.
The Te Kuiti River had a peak flow of 77cumecs on the 3rd. This was a five year event.
Flooding
at
Tongariro River
The Tongariro River reached a level of 3.62 m on the 3rd.
The Tongariro River had a peak flow of 488 cumecs on the 3rd. This was a five year event.
Heavy Rain
at
Waitanguru
Waitanguru recorded around 300 mm (30.0 cm) of rain in five days from the 29th to the 3rd.
Flooding
at
Whatawhata
The Waipa River at Whatawhata reached a level of 17.67 m on the 4th.
The Waipa River at Whatawhata had a peak flow of 588 cumecs on the 4th. This was a five year event.
Taranaki
Heavy Rain
at
Taranaki
Heavy rain fell in parts of Taranaki. On the 2nd, rainfall rates were falling off in all areas except the north-eastern hill country.
Flooding
Rivers in the eastern hill country were still flowing at a high level.
Multi Hazard
Surface flooding and slips occurred in Taranaki.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
Some roads in the Wanganui district were closed after surface flooding.
The Whanganui River was swollen after heavy rain.
The Manawatu River's spillway was opened at midnight on the 2nd to take the pressure off 30km of river.
There was extensive surface flooding in the Manawatu region.
Landslide
State Highway 3 from Patea to Waverley was reduced to one lane on the 2nd because of slips.
Multi Hazard
In the Manawatu district, persistent rain led to flooding and slips, which forced roads to close.
Flooding
at
Atene Pa
Two men were washed into the swiftly flowing Whanganui River at around 2:30pm on the 3rd while crossing in a gondola-like cage suspended from a cableway crossing. A 38-year-old man was missing, while a 19-year-old was rescued.
The 19-year-old was treated at Wanganui Hospital for hypothermia and shock.
Flooding
at
Eketahuna
A house at Eketahuna was evacuated.
Flooding
at
Palmerston North
The Manawatu River at Palmerston North peaked at 5.5 m at 2am on the 3rd, slightly below the 5.8 m peak of November 1999.
Flooding
at
Pipiriki
The Whanganui River at Pipiriki peaked at 13.7m on the night of the 2nd, and slowly subsided on the 3rd.
Flooding
at
Taumarunui
On the 3rd, after days of heavy rain, flooding swept away 6m of ground beneath the North Island main trunk railway line north of Taumarunui. 25 m of the line was left suspended at around 10:30am. Detours and delays would continue until the 5th.
Flooding
at
Wanganui
Stormwater drains overflowed in the town on the 2nd.
On the 3rd, volunteers worked frantically to stop the Whanganui River breaching the Kowhai Park stopbank and flooding houses. The bank had a big crack in it.
River levels were similar to the last flood in October 1998.
Wellington
Flooding
at
Wellington
Wairarapa farms had surface flooding at lower levels.
State Highway 2 between Carterton and Masterton was closed for a time.
Landslide
On the Kapiti Coast, slips and fallen trees closed some roads.
Flooding
at
Hutt River
The Hutt River had a 5-10 year flood.
Multi Hazard
at
Lake Wairarapa
There were road closures in Wairarapa Valley.
Flooding
at
Lower Hutt
In Lower Hutt, police removed cars from a carpark to protect them from flooding as the Hutt River rose rapidly.
A flood surge began in Lower Hutt just on midday on the 2nd when water began spilling into the riverbank carpark.
Surface flooding was reported in 30 streets in Hutt City.
Flooding
at
Martinborough
Martinborough remained on high alert on the night of the 2nd, as the Ruamahunga River approached its flood peak.
There were some minor breaches of stopbanks on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Otaihanga
The Waikanae River burst its banks at Otaihanga shortly after noon on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Otaki
A bridge near Otaki was seriously damaged by flood waters.
The Otaki River had a 5-10 year flood.
Heavy Rain
One person was flown to Palmerston North Hospital with injuries after a milk truck ran off the road on State Highway 1 north of Otaki.
Flooding
at
Otaki Beach
Several houses at the southern end of Otaki Beach were surrounded in ankle-deep water.
Flooding
at
Ruamahanga River
The Ruamahanga River flooded large areas on the 2nd, with homes isolated.
Roads were closed due to flood waters.
Heavy Rain
at
Tararua Range
The Tararuas recorded 750 mm (75.0 cm) of rain in 72 hours.
The main catchment site in Tararua Ranges recorded 780 mm (78.0 cm) of rain in three days.
Heavy Rain
at
Tawa
A 4-wheel drive flipped on State Highway 1 at the Tawa interchange at 7:25am on the 2nd.
Flooding
at
Waipoua River
The Waipoua River burst its banks north of Masterton, flooding surrounding farms and low-lying areas.
West Coast
Lightning
at
West Coast
Large areas of south Westland were left without phones on the 2nd after lightning struck a Telecom tower. About 800 homes were affected.
Canterbury
High Wind / Gust
at
Canterbury
All parts of the Canterbury region suffered from strong north-west gusts on the 2nd. Wind gusts damaged trees and power poles.
Several roofs were lifted and chimneys were damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Christchurch
Air traffic controllers reported winds of 20-30 knots (37-56 km/hr), gusting up to 50 knots (93 km/hr), on the 2nd.
Some flights were running late on the 2nd.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kaikoura
Kaikoura had gale force winds gusting up to 119 km/hr.
High Wind / Gust
at
Le Bons Bay
Le Bons Bay experienced an average wind speed of 93 km/hr on the 2nd.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lyttelton
Lyttelton had an average wind speed of 74 km/hr on the 2nd.
At Lyttelton Port, work on the docks was halted after several containers were blown over, but this did not affect business.
Otago
Flooding
at
Queenstown
Surface flooding occurred in the Queenstown area on the 1st.
References
- Environment Waikato Flood Document (CD).
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, Floods to 30 Sep 2005.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, to 31st May 2006.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 83, December 2000.
- Headline: 'Foolish act' costs fishermen their lives.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 3 October 2000.
- Headline: Man lost as cage swamped.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 4 October 2000.