NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
September 2005 North Island Winds and South Island Snow
(
2005-09-16
)
Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty were hit with high winds, which caused damage to trees and boats. A small tornado in Hamilton damaged house roofs and trees. Snow affected the Central North Island and eastern South Island.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
Duration: 4 days - From the 16th to the 19th of September.
An unusually deep low, with its centre below 980 hpa, formed in the central Tasman Sea on the 17th and crossed the country on the 18th, bringing plunging barometers and thermometers.
High Wind / Gust
Wild weather brought down trees and power poles across the North Island.
Strong winds caused havoc for motorists and boat and home owners in the upper North Island.
Snow / Ice
A severe cold snap moved up the country on the 19th, bringing with it snow, hail and sleet.
Snow fell to 500m on the Central North Island.
South Island
Snow / Ice
at
South Island
On the morning of the 19th snow fell to near sea level from Southland to Kaikoura.
Several centimetres accumulated near sea level and there was up to 10cm on the hills.
Northland
High Wind / Gust
at
Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga recorded wind gusts of up to 138 km/hr on the afternoon of the 18th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dargaville
Strong winds lifted a canopy off the Caltex service station in Victoria Street, Dargaville.
Victoria Street was closed due to the wind damage.
High Wind / Gust
at
Houhora
Trees blocked roads in Houhora.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kaitaia
At Kaitaia, part of a roof was blown off a house.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kawakawa
Trees blocked roads in Kawakawa.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mangonui Harbour
Howling northerly winds were experienced in Mangonui Harbour.
Mangonui Harbour recorded wind gusts of more than 100 km/hr.
A 12m commercial fishing boat (The Quo Vandis) rolled over and sank at its mooring in the harbour. Soon after, a large, two-masted ketch broke its mooring and was driven onto rocks about 200m away.
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland
In Auckland roads were blocked in several areas by fallen trees and power lines and flying debris.
Multi Hazard
Motorists on the Southern Motorway had to deal with surface flooding and plywood, which had blown off the back of a trailer near Papakura.
Auckland was lashed by hail and thunderstorms throughout the day on the 19th.
Auckland had a temperature of 9C instead of about 16C on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland City
Loose scaffolding from a construction site closed the southbound lanes of the Southern Motorway between Fanshaw and Cook Streets.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mission Bay
Several boats were smashed up along Tamaki Drive.
High Wind / Gust
at
Takapuna
Large barriers caused havoc after they blew across a North Shore road.
Waikato
High Wind / Gust
at
Eureka
A tree brought a power pole down across State Highway 1b near Eureka.
Multi Hazard
at
Hamilton
A quick violent storm came in to Hamilton from the east, hitting between 9pm and 10pm on the 16th. The short but severe storm was accompanied by very heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
Tornado
A severe localised wind event, probably a tornado, occurred in south Hamilton just before 10pm on the 16th.
The narrow damage path was mainly through parks, including Hamilton Gardens.
The tornado brought down trees over a wide area, blocking roads.
The Fire Service was called out after the tornado caused minor roof damage to several houses in Hillcrest and Cambridge Road.
Numerous trees were broken or uprooted in a damage trail no wider than 30m.
Hamilton Botanic Gardens said they lost around 200 trees and numerous shrubbery.
The passage of a frontal thunderstorm.
Bay of Plenty
Multi Hazard
at
Lake Rotoma
A mudslide and fallen trees blocked part of State Highway 30 near Lake Rotoma.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Snow / Ice
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
State Highway 1 over the Desert Road and State Highway 49 between Ohakune and Waiouru were closed on the 19th.
Snow / Ice
at
Ohakune
Ohakune received 10 cm of snow on the 19th.
Snow / Ice
at
Waiouru
Waiouru received 15 cm of snow on the 19th.
Waiouru had a temperature of 0C instead of about 10C.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Harbour
A tug had to help the Kaitaki ferry to berth when strong southerlies hit during the afternoon of the 19th.
Canterbury
Snow / Ice
at
Christchurch
Christchurch had 5-10 cm of snow on the 19th.
Snow delayed flights, shut down public transport, closed schools and affected electricity supplies.
Christchurch recorded a temperature of 3C at 3pm on the 19th (average normally 15C).
On the 19th Christchurch recorded its lowest September maximum temperature on record with just 5.3C.
References
- Headline: Clean-up in Hamilton after 'mini-tornado' rips through.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 17 September 2005.
- Headline: Weekend's wild weather likely to continue today.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 19 September 2005.
- Headline: Dig out those winter woollies.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 20 September 2005.
- www.thunderstorm.co.nz. New Zealand Weather Reports - Hamilton Tornado: 16 September 2005.
- www.thunderstorm.co.nz. New Zealand Weather Reports - Spring Snowfall: 19 September 2005.
September 2005 North Island Winds and South Island Snow
(
2005-09-16
)
Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty were hit with high winds, which caused damage to trees and boats. A small tornado in Hamilton damaged house roofs and trees. Snow affected the Central North Island and eastern South Island.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
Duration: 4 days - From the 16th to the 19th of September.
An unusually deep low, with its centre below 980 hpa, formed in the central Tasman Sea on the 17th and crossed the country on the 18th, bringing plunging barometers and thermometers.
High Wind / Gust
Wild weather brought down trees and power poles across the North Island.
Strong winds caused havoc for motorists and boat and home owners in the upper North Island.
Snow / Ice
A severe cold snap moved up the country on the 19th, bringing with it snow, hail and sleet.
Snow fell to 500m on the Central North Island.
South Island
Snow / Ice
at
South Island
On the morning of the 19th snow fell to near sea level from Southland to Kaikoura.
Several centimetres accumulated near sea level and there was up to 10cm on the hills.
Northland
High Wind / Gust
at
Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga recorded wind gusts of up to 138 km/hr on the afternoon of the 18th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dargaville
Strong winds lifted a canopy off the Caltex service station in Victoria Street, Dargaville.
Victoria Street was closed due to the wind damage.
High Wind / Gust
at
Houhora
Trees blocked roads in Houhora.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kaitaia
At Kaitaia, part of a roof was blown off a house.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kawakawa
Trees blocked roads in Kawakawa.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mangonui Harbour
Howling northerly winds were experienced in Mangonui Harbour.
Mangonui Harbour recorded wind gusts of more than 100 km/hr.
A 12m commercial fishing boat (The Quo Vandis) rolled over and sank at its mooring in the harbour. Soon after, a large, two-masted ketch broke its mooring and was driven onto rocks about 200m away.
Auckland
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland
In Auckland roads were blocked in several areas by fallen trees and power lines and flying debris.
Multi Hazard
Motorists on the Southern Motorway had to deal with surface flooding and plywood, which had blown off the back of a trailer near Papakura.
Auckland was lashed by hail and thunderstorms throughout the day on the 19th.
Auckland had a temperature of 9C instead of about 16C on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland City
Loose scaffolding from a construction site closed the southbound lanes of the Southern Motorway between Fanshaw and Cook Streets.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mission Bay
Several boats were smashed up along Tamaki Drive.
High Wind / Gust
at
Takapuna
Large barriers caused havoc after they blew across a North Shore road.
Waikato
High Wind / Gust
at
Eureka
A tree brought a power pole down across State Highway 1b near Eureka.
Multi Hazard
at
Hamilton
A quick violent storm came in to Hamilton from the east, hitting between 9pm and 10pm on the 16th. The short but severe storm was accompanied by very heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
Tornado
A severe localised wind event, probably a tornado, occurred in south Hamilton just before 10pm on the 16th.
The narrow damage path was mainly through parks, including Hamilton Gardens.
The tornado brought down trees over a wide area, blocking roads.
The Fire Service was called out after the tornado caused minor roof damage to several houses in Hillcrest and Cambridge Road.
Numerous trees were broken or uprooted in a damage trail no wider than 30m.
Hamilton Botanic Gardens said they lost around 200 trees and numerous shrubbery.
The passage of a frontal thunderstorm.
Bay of Plenty
Multi Hazard
at
Lake Rotoma
A mudslide and fallen trees blocked part of State Highway 30 near Lake Rotoma.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Snow / Ice
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
State Highway 1 over the Desert Road and State Highway 49 between Ohakune and Waiouru were closed on the 19th.
Snow / Ice
at
Ohakune
Ohakune received 10 cm of snow on the 19th.
Snow / Ice
at
Waiouru
Waiouru received 15 cm of snow on the 19th.
Waiouru had a temperature of 0C instead of about 10C.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Harbour
A tug had to help the Kaitaki ferry to berth when strong southerlies hit during the afternoon of the 19th.
Canterbury
Snow / Ice
at
Christchurch
Christchurch had 5-10 cm of snow on the 19th.
Snow delayed flights, shut down public transport, closed schools and affected electricity supplies.
Christchurch recorded a temperature of 3C at 3pm on the 19th (average normally 15C).
On the 19th Christchurch recorded its lowest September maximum temperature on record with just 5.3C.
References
- Headline: Clean-up in Hamilton after 'mini-tornado' rips through.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, Source: NZPA, 17 September 2005.
- Headline: Weekend's wild weather likely to continue today.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 19 September 2005.
- Headline: Dig out those winter woollies.
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 20 September 2005.
- www.thunderstorm.co.nz. New Zealand Weather Reports - Hamilton Tornado: 16 September 2005.
- www.thunderstorm.co.nz. New Zealand Weather Reports - Spring Snowfall: 19 September 2005.