Preliminary analysis by NIWA scientists has shown that the severe weather event in Canterbury, New Zealand, from May 29 to 31, 2021 was so extreme in some inland areas that it could be considered a "one-in-200-year" event. On May 29, extremely heavy…
A severe storm has brought rain and heavy unseasonal snow to parts of Canterbury's ski fields this week. As much as 5 m (16.4 feet) of snow fell at the summit of Mt. Hutt between Monday and Tuesday, May 31 and June 1, 2021. The same weather system brought 2 to 3…
A large, slow-slip earthquake is occurring off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand. The event began off the coast of Porangahau last week in the same area as the one that occurred shortly after the massive M7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake of November 2016. Based on…
Hundreds of residents in north Canterbury in New Zealand have been evacuated amid severe flooding fuelled by a one-in-100-year heavy rain over the weekend. According to NIWA, the rainfall was 200 to 400 percent of normal for the month of May, causing rivers to rise…
The New Zealand MetService has issued a rare Red Warning for Heavy Rain for the Canterbury region of South Island for the weekend. Meteorologists warn this could be the most significant rainfall for the region in 10 years. Heavy rain is also expected over other…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand at 07:37 UTC (19:37 LT) on April 5, 2021. The agency is reporting a depth of 33 km (20 miles). USGS is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles)….
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit the Kermadec Islands region, New Zealand at 09:56 UTC on April 1, 2021, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. The epicenter was located about 960 km (597 miles) NE of…
Powerful earthquakes are shaking the Kermadec Islands region of New Zealand on March 4, 2021, including M7.4 at 17:41 UTC, M8.1 at 19:28 (08:28 NZDT, March 5), and M6.1 at 20:25 UTC at depths between 10 and 55 km (6.2 and 34.2 miles). The epicenters are located…
A very strong earthquake registered by GeoNet as M7.2 hit off the east coast of the North Island, New Zealand at 13:27 UTC on March 4, 2021 (02:27 LT, March 5). The agency is reporting a depth of 94 km (58 miles). USGS is reporting it as M6.9 at a depth of 10 km,…
A series of short-lived, low-energy steam explosions occurred on February 18, 2021, at New Zealand's White Island volcano, starting at around 13:20 UTC (02:20 LT, February 18). The explosions took place after a small increase in volcanic tremor levels and lasted…
