An impulsive, short-lived eruption occurred at New Zealand's White Island volcano at 01:11 UTC (14:11 LT) on December 9, 2019. The Volcanic Alert Level was raised to 3 and Aviation Color Code to Orange. The eruption affected the crater floor where up to 50…
MetService recorded nearly 100 000 lightning strikes in 24 hours over South Island, New Zealand, leading up to Saturday morning, December 7, 2019. Some of the strikes were associated with severe storms over Westland, the agency said. The West Coast has also been…
A severe storm hit parts of New Zealand on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. The lower North Island and portions of the South Island were among the most affected areas. Otago residents said they witnessed a tornado, rising up to around…
Moderate volcanic unrest continues at New Zealand's Whakaari/White Island, with substantial gas, steam and mud bursts observed at the vent located at the back of the crater lake. Other monitoring parameters remain elevated and the Volcanic Alert Level stays at…
Moderate volcanic unrest continues at Whakaari/White Island, but no new changes are observed in the monitored parameters. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2 since November 18, 2019. The patterns of signals are similar to those through the 2011 – 2016…
Two severe weather events battered New Zealand's Canterbury region over the past 3 days – a severe hailstorm in Timaru on November 20, 2019, and a destructive tornado that ripped through Christchurch on November 18. After the catastrophic events, farmers found…
Over 1 500 lightning strikes pummeled the South Island during a six-hour storm that hammered Canterbury, with destructive hailstones around 4.3 cm (1.7 inches) in diameter hitting Timaru on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. It was the second storm to hit the region in…
A tornado hit Christchurch in New Zealand on November 18, 2019, leaving a trail of damage from central suburbs to coastal areas, according to the nation's Fire and Emergency. The twister injured two people, scattered debris through the air, and disrupted power…
Volcanic unrest continues at Whakaari/White Island and some monitored parameters show further increases in activity. Hazards on the island are now greater than during the past few weeks, forcing authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level to 2 and Aviation Color…
Volcanic unrest continues at Whakaari/White Island and some monitored parameters show an increase in activity, with a level of uncertainty about what this means, GeoNet Duty Volcanologist Yannik Behr reported October 30, 2019. Hazards on the island remain unchanged…
