NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
September 2013 New Zealand Storm ( 2013-09-10 )
An active front crossed New Zealand during the period 10-12 September. The front was preceded by a very strong northwest flow, with very heavy rain and thunderstorms. The very strong winds caused lots of damage, blew vehicles off roads, and brought down power lines, cutting the power supply to thousands of homes.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 3 days - The storm lasted from 10 to 12 September.
Insurance claims totalled $74.5 million.
The rail lines between Dunedin and Ward (southeast of Blenheim) were closed due to extremely high winds which brought trees down over the tracks.
MetService recorded more than 40,000 lightning strikes over the South Island on 10 September.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:58am 09-Sep-2013: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of South Island and lower North Island on Tuesday and Wednesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS WARNING for: Fiordland, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Otago, Canterbury, Southland, Wairarapa, Wellington, Marlborough
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:22am 10-Sep-2013: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of South Island on Tuesday and Wednesday, and over central and lower North Island on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Includes HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS WARNING for: Fiordland, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Otago, Canterbury, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Southland, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 8:03pm 10-Sep-2013: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of South Island, and over central and lower North Island on Wednesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS WARNING for: Fiordland, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Otago, Canterbury, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Southland, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne. GALES AND RAIN EASING OVER SOUTHERN SOUTH ISLAND AREAS TUESDAY NIGHT.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:32am 11-Sep-2013. Spell of severe weather forecast for: Westland, Nelson, Buller, Canterbury, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Fiordland, Otago, Southland. HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUING FOR MANY AREAS DURING TODAY. GALES AND RAIN HAVE EASED OVER SOUTHERN SOUTH ISLAND AREAS.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 8:00pm 11-Sep-2013. Spell of severe weather forecast for: Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Canterbury, Marlborough. HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUE IN SOME NORTH ISLAND AREAS. GALES AND HEAVY RAIN HAVE EASED IN THE SOUTH ISLAND.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:02am 12-Sep-2013. Spell of severe weather forecast for: Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui. SEVERE WEATHER NOW MOVING OVER THE UPPER NORTH ISLAND, BUT EASING LATE TODAY. WARNINGS FOR CENTRAL AND LOWER NORTH ISLAND NOW LIFTED.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wairarapa
Wind gusts of up to 120 km/h broke power poles and brought trees and branches down on power lines on 10 September, causing power cuts to 2500 Wairarapa homes.
High Wind / Gust
at
Rimutaka Hill
Winds gusted up to 150 km/h on the Rimutaka Hill.
High Wind / Gust
at
Masterton
Strong winds blew a truck off State Highway 2 north of Masterton. It ended up in a pine plantation, destroying 100 metres of fence and scattering freight among trees.
The trailer of another truck-and-trailer unit was blown over north of Masterton. The empty upside-down trailer stayed attached to the truck as the driver steered it off the road and through a fence into a paddock, fighting to stay upright.
Police had to stop a train preparing to leave Masterton Railway Station when part of a roof was blown onto the tracks. A broken barrier arm further down the line also had to be cleared from the tracks.
A truck and campervan were blown over at Clareville, near Masterton, causing the diversion of SH2 traffic. A tree collapsed on a fire engine at Clareville.
Multi Hazard
at
Wellington City
The Fire Service was called to about 25 weather related call-outs including trampolines being blown away, powerlines arcing, and roofs lifting off.
Galeforce winds dragged an anchored 20,000 gross tonnage logging ship across the harbour. A 10-metre yacht broke its moorings in Evans Bay.
Wellington motorists experienced numerous delays and road diversions, due to surface flooding and debris on the roads.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Airport
Almost all domestic flights in and out of Wellington Airport were cancelled or diverted during the evening of September 11, as the storm front moved across central New Zealand. About 2500 passengers were affected, with more than 20 flights out of Wellington and 17 arrivals being cancelled.
Canterbury
High Wind / Gust
at
Canterbury
Power was cut to 40,000 homes in the Selwyn, Christchurch, Waimakariri, and Hurunui districts. About 600 homes were still without power more than a week later.
Power outages and fallen trees closed several Canterbury schools.
Water supplies were reduced because of power cuts at Cust, Garrymere, West Eyreton, Summerhill, Oxford, rural Ashley, Amuri Plains, Waiau and Cheviot.
Sewer pump stations were down in parts of Kaiapoi, Woodend, Oxford, Waikuku Beach, Pines Beach, Kairaki Beach and Woodend Beach.
Lightning strikes and downed powerlines caused several fires which burnt vegetation and farm buildings in the Selwyn District. Some homes were threatened by fire in West Melton, Leeston and Southbridge.
More than 800 irrigators across Canterbury were severely damaged when they were blown over by the strong winds. It was estimated that it would take several months to repair them all. This would have serious consequences for farm irrigation as well as effluent dispersal.
Fairlie recorded wind speeds of 119 km/h, Timaru and Ashburton reached 110 km/h and Lyttelton about 75 km/h.
High Wind / Gust
at
Christchurch
Many trees were blown over by the strong winds. Several houses were damaged when trees fell on to them. Fallen trees also blocked many roads.
The winds lifted the roof of a wing of the Southern Cross Hospital.
High Wind / Gust
at
Leeston
A Leeston family found themselves homeless after the caravan they were living was blown over. The caravan landed upside down, crushing the roof. Most of the family’s belongings were destroyed.
Multi Hazard
at
Ashley Forest
Lightning strikes caused several fires; The largest fire was in the Ashley Forest area.
Multi Hazard
at
Lewis Pass
Lewis Pass was closed due to flooding.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Hutt
Staff at Mt Hutt skifield reported winds reaching a record 251km/h.
West Coast
Heavy Rain
at
West Coast
Torrential rainfall on 10 and 11 September on the West Coast triggered flood alarms on the Grey and Hokitika rivers.
Landslide
at
Haast
Two tourists were killed when their campervan was hit by a slip in stormy conditions on the Haast Pass highway, and plunged off the road into the Haast River.
Lightning
at
Fox Glacier
Fire crews were called to a Fox Glacier property set alight by a lightning strike.
Otago
High Wind / Gust
at
Otago
Police warned motorists travelling between Oamaru and Dunedin on State Highway 1 - particularly high-sided vehicles, campervans and motorcyclists - to take extreme care or delay their travels due to severe winds battering that part of the Otago East Coast.
Powerlines, which had been blown down, caused vegetation fires in several areas, including Waimate and Glenavy.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dunedin
A truck was blown over on Dunedin’s Northern Motorway.
High Wind / Gust
at
Maheno
A truck was blown over at Maheno.
Southland
Snow / Ice
at
Milford Sound
15 tourists were stranded at Milford Sound after 20 avalanches hit the Milford Rd during the storm. Avalanches affected a 12km stretch on the Milford Rd, including a section which was hit by three separate avalanches leaving a five metre deep layer of snow.
Landslide
at
Hollyford
The Hollyford Rd was hit by a massive landslide, trapping tourists at Gunns Camp.
References
- Insurance Council of New Zealand (www.icnz.org.nz/current/weather)
- Headline: Wild weather sweeps up South Island
- www.stuff.co.nz, 10 September 2013
- Headline: Storms wreak havoc in Canterbury
- www.stuff.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Travel chaos as storm surges
- www.stuff.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Logging ship dragged across Wellington Harbour by winds
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: High winds continue to cause havoc
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Fierce weather a 'dog's dinner, and it's not done yet'
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Storm continues to blast the South Island
- www.3news.co.nz, 11 September 2013.
- Headline: Wildest winds since the 1970s
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Milford cut off by massive slip.
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Storm damages over 800 Canterbury irrigators
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Heavy rain lashes New Zealand
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Storm damages over 800 Canterbury irrigators
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Heavy rain lashes New Zealand
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Gale had quake-like impact on power network
- www.stuff.co.nz The Press, 19 September 2013
- Headline: In the wake of a storm.
- www.stuff.co.nz, 21 September 2013
- Headline: Body found in search for Canadians
- www.stuff.co.nz, 21 September 2013
September 2013 New Zealand Storm ( 2013-09-10 )
An active front crossed New Zealand during the period 10-12 September. The front was preceded by a very strong northwest flow, with very heavy rain and thunderstorms. The very strong winds caused lots of damage, blew vehicles off roads, and brought down power lines, cutting the power supply to thousands of homes.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 3 days - The storm lasted from 10 to 12 September.
Insurance claims totalled $74.5 million.
The rail lines between Dunedin and Ward (southeast of Blenheim) were closed due to extremely high winds which brought trees down over the tracks.
MetService recorded more than 40,000 lightning strikes over the South Island on 10 September.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:58am 09-Sep-2013: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of South Island and lower North Island on Tuesday and Wednesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS WARNING for: Fiordland, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Otago, Canterbury, Southland, Wairarapa, Wellington, Marlborough
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:22am 10-Sep-2013: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of South Island on Tuesday and Wednesday, and over central and lower North Island on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Includes HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS WARNING for: Fiordland, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Otago, Canterbury, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Southland, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 8:03pm 10-Sep-2013: Spell of severe weather forecast over much of South Island, and over central and lower North Island on Wednesday. Includes HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS WARNING for: Fiordland, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Otago, Canterbury, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Southland, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne. GALES AND RAIN EASING OVER SOUTHERN SOUTH ISLAND AREAS TUESDAY NIGHT.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:32am 11-Sep-2013. Spell of severe weather forecast for: Westland, Nelson, Buller, Canterbury, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Fiordland, Otago, Southland. HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUING FOR MANY AREAS DURING TODAY. GALES AND RAIN HAVE EASED OVER SOUTHERN SOUTH ISLAND AREAS.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 8:00pm 11-Sep-2013. Spell of severe weather forecast for: Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui, Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Westland, Nelson, Buller, Canterbury, Marlborough. HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUE IN SOME NORTH ISLAND AREAS. GALES AND HEAVY RAIN HAVE EASED IN THE SOUTH ISLAND.
MetService SEVERE WEATHER WARNING 9:02am 12-Sep-2013. Spell of severe weather forecast for: Bay Of Plenty Rotorua, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Taupo, Taihape, Taumarunui. SEVERE WEATHER NOW MOVING OVER THE UPPER NORTH ISLAND, BUT EASING LATE TODAY. WARNINGS FOR CENTRAL AND LOWER NORTH ISLAND NOW LIFTED.
Wellington
High Wind / Gust
at
Wairarapa
Wind gusts of up to 120 km/h broke power poles and brought trees and branches down on power lines on 10 September, causing power cuts to 2500 Wairarapa homes.
High Wind / Gust
at
Rimutaka Hill
Winds gusted up to 150 km/h on the Rimutaka Hill.
High Wind / Gust
at
Masterton
Strong winds blew a truck off State Highway 2 north of Masterton. It ended up in a pine plantation, destroying 100 metres of fence and scattering freight among trees.
The trailer of another truck-and-trailer unit was blown over north of Masterton. The empty upside-down trailer stayed attached to the truck as the driver steered it off the road and through a fence into a paddock, fighting to stay upright.
Police had to stop a train preparing to leave Masterton Railway Station when part of a roof was blown onto the tracks. A broken barrier arm further down the line also had to be cleared from the tracks.
A truck and campervan were blown over at Clareville, near Masterton, causing the diversion of SH2 traffic. A tree collapsed on a fire engine at Clareville.
Multi Hazard
at
Wellington City
The Fire Service was called to about 25 weather related call-outs including trampolines being blown away, powerlines arcing, and roofs lifting off.
Galeforce winds dragged an anchored 20,000 gross tonnage logging ship across the harbour. A 10-metre yacht broke its moorings in Evans Bay.
Wellington motorists experienced numerous delays and road diversions, due to surface flooding and debris on the roads.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Airport
Almost all domestic flights in and out of Wellington Airport were cancelled or diverted during the evening of September 11, as the storm front moved across central New Zealand. About 2500 passengers were affected, with more than 20 flights out of Wellington and 17 arrivals being cancelled.
Canterbury
High Wind / Gust
at
Canterbury
Power was cut to 40,000 homes in the Selwyn, Christchurch, Waimakariri, and Hurunui districts. About 600 homes were still without power more than a week later.
Power outages and fallen trees closed several Canterbury schools.
Water supplies were reduced because of power cuts at Cust, Garrymere, West Eyreton, Summerhill, Oxford, rural Ashley, Amuri Plains, Waiau and Cheviot.
Sewer pump stations were down in parts of Kaiapoi, Woodend, Oxford, Waikuku Beach, Pines Beach, Kairaki Beach and Woodend Beach.
Lightning strikes and downed powerlines caused several fires which burnt vegetation and farm buildings in the Selwyn District. Some homes were threatened by fire in West Melton, Leeston and Southbridge.
More than 800 irrigators across Canterbury were severely damaged when they were blown over by the strong winds. It was estimated that it would take several months to repair them all. This would have serious consequences for farm irrigation as well as effluent dispersal.
Fairlie recorded wind speeds of 119 km/h, Timaru and Ashburton reached 110 km/h and Lyttelton about 75 km/h.
High Wind / Gust
at
Christchurch
Many trees were blown over by the strong winds. Several houses were damaged when trees fell on to them. Fallen trees also blocked many roads.
The winds lifted the roof of a wing of the Southern Cross Hospital.
High Wind / Gust
at
Leeston
A Leeston family found themselves homeless after the caravan they were living was blown over. The caravan landed upside down, crushing the roof. Most of the family’s belongings were destroyed.
Multi Hazard
at
Ashley Forest
Lightning strikes caused several fires; The largest fire was in the Ashley Forest area.
Multi Hazard
at
Lewis Pass
Lewis Pass was closed due to flooding.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mt Hutt
Staff at Mt Hutt skifield reported winds reaching a record 251km/h.
West Coast
Heavy Rain
at
West Coast
Torrential rainfall on 10 and 11 September on the West Coast triggered flood alarms on the Grey and Hokitika rivers.
Landslide
at
Haast
Two tourists were killed when their campervan was hit by a slip in stormy conditions on the Haast Pass highway, and plunged off the road into the Haast River.
Lightning
at
Fox Glacier
Fire crews were called to a Fox Glacier property set alight by a lightning strike.
Otago
High Wind / Gust
at
Otago
Police warned motorists travelling between Oamaru and Dunedin on State Highway 1 - particularly high-sided vehicles, campervans and motorcyclists - to take extreme care or delay their travels due to severe winds battering that part of the Otago East Coast.
Powerlines, which had been blown down, caused vegetation fires in several areas, including Waimate and Glenavy.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dunedin
A truck was blown over on Dunedin’s Northern Motorway.
High Wind / Gust
at
Maheno
A truck was blown over at Maheno.
Southland
Snow / Ice
at
Milford Sound
15 tourists were stranded at Milford Sound after 20 avalanches hit the Milford Rd during the storm. Avalanches affected a 12km stretch on the Milford Rd, including a section which was hit by three separate avalanches leaving a five metre deep layer of snow.
Landslide
at
Hollyford
The Hollyford Rd was hit by a massive landslide, trapping tourists at Gunns Camp.
References
- Insurance Council of New Zealand (www.icnz.org.nz/current/weather)
- Headline: Wild weather sweeps up South Island
- www.stuff.co.nz, 10 September 2013
- Headline: Storms wreak havoc in Canterbury
- www.stuff.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Travel chaos as storm surges
- www.stuff.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Logging ship dragged across Wellington Harbour by winds
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: High winds continue to cause havoc
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Fierce weather a 'dog's dinner, and it's not done yet'
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 11 September 2013
- Headline: Storm continues to blast the South Island
- www.3news.co.nz, 11 September 2013.
- Headline: Wildest winds since the 1970s
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Milford cut off by massive slip.
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Storm damages over 800 Canterbury irrigators
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Heavy rain lashes New Zealand
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Storm damages over 800 Canterbury irrigators
- www.stuff.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Heavy rain lashes New Zealand
- www.nzherald.co.nz, 12 September 2013
- Headline: Gale had quake-like impact on power network
- www.stuff.co.nz The Press, 19 September 2013
- Headline: In the wake of a storm.
- www.stuff.co.nz, 21 September 2013
- Headline: Body found in search for Canadians
- www.stuff.co.nz, 21 September 2013