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.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the GeoNet as M5.9 hit New Zealand’s North Island at 22:16 UTC on April 25, 2023 (10:16 LT, April 26). The agency is reporting a depth of 21 km (13 miles). The USGS reported it as M5.4 at a depth of 25 km (15 miles).
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.1 hit the Kermadec Islands region, New Zealand. The agency is reporting a depth of 49 km (30 miles). EMCS is reporting M7.1 at a depth of 40 km (24.8 miles).
A pod of 25 rough-toothed dolphins stranded on a reef at Tauroa Point at the southern end of 90 Mile Beach, New Zealand’s Far North District on April 17, 2023. A stranding of this size for this species is unprecedented.
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.
A tornado hit Greymouth, a town on New Zealand’s South Island, on March 20, 2023, causing significant damage to five buildings and more than 17 cars. The tornado caused roof debris to fly through the air, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Located in the Central Volcanic Region, the town of Kawerau in New Zealand has been hit by a series of earthquakes since March 17, 2023, with a tally of over 780 quakes. Of these, six earthquakes have registered magnitudes above M4.0. The seismic activity has caused noticeable shaking in the region, with the most substantial earthquake having a magnitude of M4.8, while the majority of the quakes have been rated between M2.0 and M2.9.
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.0 hit the Kermadec Islands at 00:56 UTC on March 16, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 22 km (13.7 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Active vents at White Island/Whakaari volcano in New Zealand are emitting substantial steam and gas plumes. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2 and the Aviation Color Code at Yellow.
