• Major wildfire in Christchurch’s Port Hills, state of emergency declared, New Zealand

    ByTeo Blašković

    Fire and Emergency New Zealand reported a large vegetation fire covering about 650 ha (1 606 acres) in the Port Hills near Christchurch on February 15, 2024. A state of emergency was declared the previous day, with 130 firefighters, 11 helicopters, and heavy machinery deployed. Evacuations affected 80 properties, though no homes were lost. The blaze remains uncontained, and a public health warning was issued due to smoke.

  • Shallow M6.0 earthquake hits Kermadec Islands, New Zealand

    ByTeo Blašković

    A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit Kermadec Islands, New Zealand at 10:10 UTC on October 23, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 23.1 km (14.3 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).

  • Freight train derailed by landslide on South Island’s West Coast, New Zealand

    ByTW

    A freight train operated by KiwiRail found itself engulfed by a landslide on the South Island’s West Coast near Hawks Crag in the early hours of Monday, October 16, 2023. The incident, which led to a minor derailment, saw the lone engineer on board escaping without any injury.

  • Red warning for heavy rainfall issued for Gisborne, New Zealand

    ByTW

    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.

  • Sudden cloudburst hits Waihi Beach, causing severe flash floods, New Zealand

    ByTW

    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.