Over the weekend of September 16 – 17, 2023, New Zealand’s MetService forecasts an intense westerly wind event across the South Island and the southern half of the North Island. This anticipated event could be more disruptive than yesterday’s strong winds, which resulted in power outages in Wairarapa.
New Zealand’s MetService upgraded its Heavy Rain Warning to the highest level – Red – for Gisborne area. This is the highest severe weather warning and indicates that people must take immediate action to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. The warning is in effect through Sunday morning, June 25.
A sudden cloudburst on Monday afternoon, May 29, 2023, led to flash flooding at Waihi Beach in the western Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, resulting in evacuations and significant damage. Approximately 60 mm (2.3 inches) of rain fell during the burst, causing floodwaters to reach waist height at their peak.
A state of local emergency was declared by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown on May 9, 2023, due to severe floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. The MetService reported rain rates of 40 – 50 mm (1.6 – 1.9 inches) per hour in certain areas of Auckland, leading to significant disruption and causing over 200 weather-related emergency calls.
Some 50 homes have been damaged after severe thunderstorms spawned a destructive tornado in the Tasman District, near Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on April 10, 2023. The event happened about 16 hours after another damaging tornado swept through East Auckland, North Island on April 9.
More than 880 000 lightning strikes have been recorded over the Tasman Sea in 24 hours to Tuesday, March 7, 2023. This weather system is moving toward New Zealand’s South Island and is forecast to eventually move up to the North Island late in the week.
February 2023 was a month of extremes for New Zealand’s weather and climate. While some parts of the North Island received at least 400% of their normal February rainfall and experienced the 2nd wettest summer on record, the South Island faced below-normal rainfall and the 5th driest summer on record. Cyclone Gabrielle brought destructive winds and historic extreme rainfall, resulting in widespread destruction and loss of life. The nationwide average temperature was 1.1 °C (2 °F) above the February average, making it the 3rd warmest summer on record. Despite the heavy rainfall, some locations experienced high sunshine hours.
MetService, the national weather agency of New Zealand, issued an Orange Warning for Heavy Rain for the Hawke’s Bay region, as a complex weather system continues to affect the country. The agency has grave concerns for vulnerable areas due to the already saturated terrain.
New Zealand’s North Island has been severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle over the past couple of days, with floods, landslides, and ocean swells leaving many people stranded on rooftops. The storm, which caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, also closed numerous roads, canceled hundreds of flights, and left about 225 000 people without power. At least 4 people have been killed.
Despite being downgraded from a tropical cyclone, Gabrielle is intensifying and spreading strong winds and heavy rain across a wider area affecting the whole of the North Island in some way.
