NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
October 2008 South Island High Wind
(
2008-10-28
)
Strong northwest winds blew up the South Island, causing minor damage and bringing high temperatures. Two men died in difficult sea conditions near Lyttelton.
South Island
Multi Hazard
at
South Island
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:03 pm 27-Oct-2008: A burst of heavy rain for the Fiordland and Westland ranges on Tuesday and northwest gales from Southland to Canterbury. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Fiordland and ranges of Westland south of Otira; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Southland, Otago and Canterbury.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:24 am 28-Oct-2008: Brief heavy rain for Fiordland and southern Westland today and northwest gales in the east from Southland to Wairarapa. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Fiordland and ranges of Westland south of Otira; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Southland, Otago, Canterbury, eastern Marlborough and the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and Wairarapa.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:51 pm 28-Oct-2008: Spell of heavy rain over Westland and northwest gales in the east from Mid Canterbury to Wairarapa expect to ease on Tuesday night. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Westland south of Otira; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Mid and North Canterbury, eastern Marlborough, higher hills of Wellington, also Wairarapa. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warning lifted for Fiordland; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for Southland, Otago and South Canterbury.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:45 am 29-Oct-2008: Warnings for rain in Westland and northwest gales from Canterbury to Wairarapa are lifted. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warning lifted for Westland south of Otira; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for Mid and North Canterbury, eastern Marlborough, the Sounds, Wellington and Wairarapa.
High Wind / Gust
A strong northwester blew up the South Island on the 28th.
Canterbury
High Wind / Gust
at
Canterbury
It was likely wind gusts had reached 110-120 km/hr in exposed places.
High Wind / Gust
at
Ashburton
Wind gusts reached 85-90 km/hr in Ashburton on the afternoon of the 28th.
Multi Hazard
Ashburton reached a high of 26.7 degrees.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Lyttelton Harbour
Two men (one 29 years old) working on a sewage outfall pipeline went missing in an inflatable boat off the coast near Lyttelton at about 6:30pm on the 28th. Their bodies were found later. The sea conditions in the area were difficult that day, with a strong westerly wind, a gale warning and quite a heavy sea. By about lunchtime, a strong northwest wind was stirring up the sea and creating a nasty swell, making working conditions difficult. The men were returning to Lyttelton port when they were lost.
The wind at Lyttelton Heads was gusting to 40 knots (74 km/hr) by 5pm. The swell was also getting bigger because of an outgoing tide.
High Wind / Gust
at
Omarama
Wind gusts reached 55 km/hr at Omarama.
Multi Hazard
at
Timaru
Timaru had the nationwide high of 28.8 degC on the 28th - the highest temperature recorded for October in at least 30 years.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tinwald
A rotorainer irrigator was blown about 100m across a paddock and came to rest, mangled, across Tinwald Westerfield Mayfield Road, with its boom resting on a fence on the opposite side of the road at about 4pm.
The road was closed to traffic while the irrigator was moved.
High Wind / Gust
at
Twizel
Wind gusts reached 50 km/hr at Twizel.
The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade was called out to a grass fire at about 5:15pm near houses on Carters Terrace, which was being fanned by strong winds.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whitewash Head
In high winds a barge with 9 workers onboard, also working on the Lyttelton pipepline project, broke free from its tug, sparking a major alert as it headed towards the rocks at Taylors Mistake. It was eventually brought under control.
There were 3- to 4-metre swells at the time.
Otago
High Wind / Gust
at
Otago
In the Southern Lakes District the wind felled trees and brought phone lines down.
Multi Hazard
at
Alexandra
Alexandra reached 26 degC on the 28th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cardrona
The Cardrona Valley was buffeted by high winds.
A large tree fell across and blocked much of the Cardrona Valley Rd in the afternoon.
High Wind / Gust
at
Clyde
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Clyde.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cromwell
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Cromwell.
Multi Hazard
at
Dunedin
Dunedin city and airport reached 28 degC on the 28th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dunedin Airport
Wind gusts reached 65 km/hr at Dunedin airport.
High Wind / Gust
at
Earnscleugh
Powerlines came down and started a fire on a property near the corner of Earnscleugh and Eureka Rds between Alexandra and Clyde. Fire fighters were called out to the fire at 4.45pm and spent more than an hour trying to contain it.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gibbston
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Gibbston valley.
High Wind / Gust
at
Queenstown
Queenstown was also buffeted by high winds.
Lake Wakatipu was turned to a sea of white caps at times with water crashing over the Queenstown Bay sea wall.
High Wind / Gust
at
Rock and Pillar
Wind gusts reached a high of 140 km/hr at the Rock and Pillars near Middlemarch.
High Wind / Gust
at
Shingle Creek
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Shingle Creek.
High Wind / Gust
at
Swampy Summit
Wind gusts reached 110 km/hr at Swampy Summit near Dunedin.
High Wind / Gust
at
Taiaroa Head
Wind gusts reached 74 km/hr at Taiaroa Head.
Southland
High Wind / Gust
at
Southland
North-westerly winds gusting to around 120 km/hr were reached in exposed parts of western Southland on the 28th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gore
Wind gusts reached 120 km/hr in Gore.
High Wind / Gust
at
Thornbury
Firefighters were called to a scrub fire on a Thornbury-Waimatuku Rd farm at about 10.30am after gale force winds drove embers towards a pine plantation less than 20 m away.
References
- Headline: It's blowin' a gale...
- www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz, 29 October 2008.
- Headline: Wind turns up the heat in the South.
- www.odt.co.nz, 29 October 2008, 4:58am.
- Headline: Police still hold hope for pipeline worker lost at sea.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Press and NZPA, 29 October 2008.
- Headline: Human cost of project rising.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Press, 8 November 2008.
- Headline: Wind turns burnoff into 'explosion'.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Southland Times, 29 October 2008.
- Headline: Man missing off Canterbury coast.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News, 29 Otober 2008, 6:20am.
- MetService Email Lists
October 2008 South Island High Wind
(
2008-10-28
)
Strong northwest winds blew up the South Island, causing minor damage and bringing high temperatures. Two men died in difficult sea conditions near Lyttelton.
South Island
Multi Hazard
at
South Island
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:03 pm 27-Oct-2008: A burst of heavy rain for the Fiordland and Westland ranges on Tuesday and northwest gales from Southland to Canterbury. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Fiordland and ranges of Westland south of Otira; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Southland, Otago and Canterbury.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:24 am 28-Oct-2008: Brief heavy rain for Fiordland and southern Westland today and northwest gales in the east from Southland to Wairarapa. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: Fiordland and ranges of Westland south of Otira; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Southland, Otago, Canterbury, eastern Marlborough and the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and Wairarapa.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 8:51 pm 28-Oct-2008: Spell of heavy rain over Westland and northwest gales in the east from Mid Canterbury to Wairarapa expect to ease on Tuesday night. Includes HEAVY RAIN WARNING for: ranges of Westland south of Otira; and STRONG WIND WARNING for: Mid and North Canterbury, eastern Marlborough, higher hills of Wellington, also Wairarapa. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warning lifted for Fiordland; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for Southland, Otago and South Canterbury.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING issued at 7:45 am 29-Oct-2008: Warnings for rain in Westland and northwest gales from Canterbury to Wairarapa are lifted. WARNINGS NO LONGER IN FORCE: Heavy Rain Warning lifted for Westland south of Otira; and Strong Wind Warnings lifted for Mid and North Canterbury, eastern Marlborough, the Sounds, Wellington and Wairarapa.
High Wind / Gust
A strong northwester blew up the South Island on the 28th.
Canterbury
High Wind / Gust
at
Canterbury
It was likely wind gusts had reached 110-120 km/hr in exposed places.
High Wind / Gust
at
Ashburton
Wind gusts reached 85-90 km/hr in Ashburton on the afternoon of the 28th.
Multi Hazard
Ashburton reached a high of 26.7 degrees.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Lyttelton Harbour
Two men (one 29 years old) working on a sewage outfall pipeline went missing in an inflatable boat off the coast near Lyttelton at about 6:30pm on the 28th. Their bodies were found later. The sea conditions in the area were difficult that day, with a strong westerly wind, a gale warning and quite a heavy sea. By about lunchtime, a strong northwest wind was stirring up the sea and creating a nasty swell, making working conditions difficult. The men were returning to Lyttelton port when they were lost.
The wind at Lyttelton Heads was gusting to 40 knots (74 km/hr) by 5pm. The swell was also getting bigger because of an outgoing tide.
High Wind / Gust
at
Omarama
Wind gusts reached 55 km/hr at Omarama.
Multi Hazard
at
Timaru
Timaru had the nationwide high of 28.8 degC on the 28th - the highest temperature recorded for October in at least 30 years.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tinwald
A rotorainer irrigator was blown about 100m across a paddock and came to rest, mangled, across Tinwald Westerfield Mayfield Road, with its boom resting on a fence on the opposite side of the road at about 4pm.
The road was closed to traffic while the irrigator was moved.
High Wind / Gust
at
Twizel
Wind gusts reached 50 km/hr at Twizel.
The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade was called out to a grass fire at about 5:15pm near houses on Carters Terrace, which was being fanned by strong winds.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whitewash Head
In high winds a barge with 9 workers onboard, also working on the Lyttelton pipepline project, broke free from its tug, sparking a major alert as it headed towards the rocks at Taylors Mistake. It was eventually brought under control.
There were 3- to 4-metre swells at the time.
Otago
High Wind / Gust
at
Otago
In the Southern Lakes District the wind felled trees and brought phone lines down.
Multi Hazard
at
Alexandra
Alexandra reached 26 degC on the 28th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cardrona
The Cardrona Valley was buffeted by high winds.
A large tree fell across and blocked much of the Cardrona Valley Rd in the afternoon.
High Wind / Gust
at
Clyde
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Clyde.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cromwell
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Cromwell.
Multi Hazard
at
Dunedin
Dunedin city and airport reached 28 degC on the 28th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dunedin Airport
Wind gusts reached 65 km/hr at Dunedin airport.
High Wind / Gust
at
Earnscleugh
Powerlines came down and started a fire on a property near the corner of Earnscleugh and Eureka Rds between Alexandra and Clyde. Fire fighters were called out to the fire at 4.45pm and spent more than an hour trying to contain it.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gibbston
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Gibbston valley.
High Wind / Gust
at
Queenstown
Queenstown was also buffeted by high winds.
Lake Wakatipu was turned to a sea of white caps at times with water crashing over the Queenstown Bay sea wall.
High Wind / Gust
at
Rock and Pillar
Wind gusts reached a high of 140 km/hr at the Rock and Pillars near Middlemarch.
High Wind / Gust
at
Shingle Creek
The strong winds affected power and telephone lines at Shingle Creek.
High Wind / Gust
at
Swampy Summit
Wind gusts reached 110 km/hr at Swampy Summit near Dunedin.
High Wind / Gust
at
Taiaroa Head
Wind gusts reached 74 km/hr at Taiaroa Head.
Southland
High Wind / Gust
at
Southland
North-westerly winds gusting to around 120 km/hr were reached in exposed parts of western Southland on the 28th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gore
Wind gusts reached 120 km/hr in Gore.
High Wind / Gust
at
Thornbury
Firefighters were called to a scrub fire on a Thornbury-Waimatuku Rd farm at about 10.30am after gale force winds drove embers towards a pine plantation less than 20 m away.
References
- Headline: It's blowin' a gale...
- www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz, 29 October 2008.
- Headline: Wind turns up the heat in the South.
- www.odt.co.nz, 29 October 2008, 4:58am.
- Headline: Police still hold hope for pipeline worker lost at sea.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Press and NZPA, 29 October 2008.
- Headline: Human cost of project rising.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: The Press, 8 November 2008.
- Headline: Wind turns burnoff into 'explosion'.
- www.stuff.co.nz, Source: Southland Times, 29 October 2008.
- Headline: Man missing off Canterbury coast.
- tvnz.co.nz, Source: ONE News, 29 Otober 2008, 6:20am.
- MetService Email Lists