List of New Zealand tornadoes

Last updated

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The country of New Zealand experiences several tornadoes a year, most recently in January 2025.

Contents

Climatology and background

A tornado refers to a violently rotating column of air that reaches the ground, which can be among the most destructive of all atmospheric phenomena. [1] Each year, there are 7–10 damaging tornadoes that touch down in New Zealand, occurring mostly along the west coast of both islands. Tornadoes in New Zealand most often form from squall lines ahead of cold fronts, which have the potential to spawn mesocyclones capable of tornadogenesis. Tornadoes in the country are usually short-lived, narrow, and weak. However, the country's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) assessed the 1948 Frankton tornado as an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, making it New Zealand's strongest known tornado. The 1948 tornado was also its most impactful, with 200 buildings damaged, as well as a rare deadly tornado in the country, with three deaths. [2]

Events

Tornado EventDateAreaTornadoesCasualtiesNotes
Parnell tornadoDecember 1863 Parnell -0 fatalities, numerous injuriesA tornado passed through part of Auckland suburb of Parnell, destroying every building and tree it came across, causing a total of £5,000 in damage. [3]
Kaitaia tornado26 August 1942 Kaitaia -1 fatality, 8 injuriesA tornado struck the town of Kaitaia in the Northland Region and damaged or destroyed numerous buildings in the town. A bus and car were also tossed into the air and destroyed. One person was killed and eight others were injured. [4]
Frankton (Hamilton) tornado25 August 1948 Waikato -3 fatalities, 80 injuriesThe F2-rated tornado caused damage or destruction to 163 buildings and 50 businesses, causing about £1,000,000 in propety damage ($65,434,000 in 2010 dollars). [5] [6]
Bay of Plenty tornado28 May 1968Ōmokoroa, Bay of Plenty-0 fatalities, 0 injuriesA tornado ripped across the Bay of Plenty coastline near Tauranga, affecting Ōmokoroa, Pukehina Beach and Paengaroa. Several homes were heavily damaged in Pukehina Beach, including a newly built two-story home that was flattened. No casualties were reported. [7]
Halswell tornado19 January 1983 Halswell, Christchurch-0 fatalities, unknown injuredThis tornado was part of a severe storm that struck Christchurch. Authorities did not believe reports made by citizens, as few buildings were damaged. [8]
Auckland Region tornadoes24 April 1991Auckland region40 fatalities, unknown injuredTornadoes and high winds impacted portions of the Auckland region, causing significant damage to homes and businesses. A tornado at Pouto Point injured at least two people and heavily damaged a wooden marae hall, leaving behind only the floor and concrete steps. An empty house and a woolshed were also wrecked. Damage in Pouto Point was estimated at NZ$1 million. Tornadoes were also reported in Dairy Flat, Port Charles, and Albany. Trees were blown down in Dairy Flat, damaging three cars and injuring two occupants. [9]
Albany tornadoMay 1991Albany-1 fatality, unknown injuredA local church destroyed. One man driving a bulldozer was killed by flying debris. [10]
Waitara tornado [11] 15 August 2004 Taranaki -2 fatalities, 2 seriously injuredThe casualties occurred when a farmhouse was demolished by the tornado. Several power lines were taken out, affecting 6,662 consumers and 1,200 homes. Media reports included debris 'spread over an area 400 metres long by 50 metres wide', although other media outlets described the track length as being greater than 1 kilometre (3,300 ft). The tornado was assessed as F3 on the Fujita scale, making it the strongest on record in New Zealand. [12]
Greymouth tornado10 March 2005 West Coast 10 fatalities, 6 injuriesThe path of devastation was approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long and 400 metres (1,300 ft) wide. It had an F1 rating with winds speeds of around 180 km/h. It was estimated that the tornado lasted 10 seconds. The insurance industry payouts for the tornado was NZ$9,200,000 (2005 money). Two tornadoes touched down in Greymouth within two years. Up to 30 people were made homeless. Six people received injuries from the tornado. Two people were admitted to hospital with moderate injuries, and one was treated and discharged. The St John's ambulance treated another three people for minor cuts and bruises. One woman was injured when the tornado flipped over the campervan she was sitting in. A 12-tonne truck was overturned along with a number of cars. West Coast is one of the most tornado-prone areas of New Zealand. [13]
Waimate tornado3 March 2006 Waimate -0 fatalities, 0 injuriesA strong tornado impacted rural properties to the southeast of Waimate along a 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) path. A historic two-story home lost its roof and second floor. The tornado also ripped apart grain silos and sheds. Several head of livestock were killed, and five people were left homeless. [14]
New Plymouth tornado4 July 2007 New Plymouth -0 fatalitiesA series of tornadoes ripped through the New Plymouth district of New Zealand, damaging 50 homes and rendering 70–80% of them uninhabitable. One person was injured, and several were trapped inside vehicles by powerlines. [15]
Auckland tornado3 May 2011 Auckland -1 fatality, 14 injuriesA tornado struck the Auckland suburb of Albany, killing one person and injuring many others. [16] [17]
New Plymouth tornadoes19 June 2011 New Plymouth 2 confirmed, 1 unconfirmed0 fatalitiesTwo tornadoes struck New Plymouth, damaging businesses in the Central Business District, St Mary's Church Hall, and a hotel. [18]
Auckland tornado6 December 2012 Auckland More than 13 fatalities, at least 7 injuriesA tornado struck the Auckland suburb of Hobsonville, killing three people and injuring at least seven others. [19]
Amberley tornado23 February 2014 Amberley 10 fatalities, 1 injuryA tornado struck areas near the North Canterbury town of Amberley, damaging multiple homes and uprooting trees and power poles. The tornado was accompanied by large hail, lightning, and strong winds. One person was injured in the storm. [20] [21]
Mt Maunganui tornado13 May 2015 Mt Maunganui 10 fatalitiesA tornado struck the Tauranga suburb of Mt Maunganui, damaging homes and the nearby Baypark Stadium. [22]
Ashburton/Fairton tornado18 November 2018 Ashburton/Fairton 10 fatalities, 0 injuriesA large landspout tornado was filmed from multiple angles as it touched down near Ashburton and Fairton. The tornado remained over open fields, though it caused damage to farm implements and trees. The same storm system also produced marble-sized hail and strong winds. [23]
Coopers Beach tornado5 June 2019 Coopers Beach 10 fatalitiesA tornado struck the town of Coopers Beach and caused damage to 15 homes, leaving two to be deemed uninhabitable. [24]
North Island tornadoes11-12 August 2019 North Island 40 fatalities, 2 injuriesFour tornadoes struck the North Island over two consecutive days. Tornadoes struck Auckland and the Taranaki Region, causing major damage. Severe thunderstorms also produced large 'spiky' hail, lightning and heavy rain. Two people were injured by the tornadoes. [25] [26] [27]
Christchurch tornado18 November 2019 Christchurch 12 injuriesAn EF0 tornado struck Christchurch and lasted for 15 minutes, injuring two people and causing widespread damage. [28]
Papamoa tornado27 June 2020 Papamoa 10 fatalitiesA tornado struck the Tauranga suburb of Papamoa in the early morning and caused some damage to homes. The tornado also sent a trampoline flying across a main road into some trees lining the carpark of a local supermarket. [29]
Papatoetoe tornado19 June 2021Auckland11 fatality, 2 injuriesA tornado struck the Papatoetoe district in South Auckland. The tornado damaged roofs, trees and shipping containers. A worker at Wiri Station was killed, while two others were injured. About 1,200 homes were affected by the tornado, 60 of which were deemed to be uninhabitable. [30]
Levin tornado19 May 2022Horowhenua10 fatalities, 1 injury
Kāpiti tornadoesJune 2022 Kāpiti 30 fatalities, 1 injuryOn 1 June two reported tornadoes went through Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Otaihanga, with the first tornado damaging five properties. [31] On 9 a tornado went through the Kāpiti Coast and caused damage to about six homes in Waikanae, five homes in Paraparaumu, as well as to businesses. At least one person was injured. [32] [33]
Tongariro National Park tornado27 February 2023Tongariro National Park10A weak tornado was seen over the national park. [34]
New Zealand tornadoes9–11 April 2023 East Auckland, Tasman District, Waitara, Paraparaumu 41 injuryOn 9 April a tornado in East Auckland caused damage to about 51 properties. On 10 April a tornado in the Tasman District caused damage to about 50 properties. [35] On 11 April a tornado in Waitara, Taranaki, caused a home's roof to lift off. [36] Later that day a tornado in Paraparaumu caused damage to about 20 properties and injured one person. [37]
Lower Hutt tornado12 December 2023Wellington10 fatalities, 6 injuriesSix people were injured in the central city as what was described as a tornado that blew in store windows, ripped up roofs, toppled fences, battered buildings and dragged buses along the street. [38]
Mangawhai tornado26 January 2025 Mangawhai 0 fatalities, 2 serious injuriesA tornado and severe storm hit Mangawhai and the surrounding areas, causing two serious injuries, at least four homes to be destroyed, damage to about 50 properties, and about 4700 homes to lose power. [39] [40]

Climatological statistics

The following is a chart showing New Zealand tornadoes by month or by time period.

Number of recorded tornadoes affecting New Zealand
MonthNumber of storms
January
2
February
2
March
2
April
5
May
4
June
5
July
1
August
4
November
2
December
2
Tornadoes affecting New Zealand by period
PeriodNumber of storms
1800s
1
1900s
6
2000s
4
2010s
8
2020s
7

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paraparaumu</span> Town in Wellington Region, New Zealand

Paraparaumu is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It lies on the Kāpiti Coast, 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of the nation's capital city, Wellington. It is also known to residents as Pram or Paraparam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Chathams</span> Airline of New Zealand

Air Chathams Limited is an airline based in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. It was established in 1984 and operates scheduled passenger services between the Chatham Islands and mainland New Zealand along with routes between Auckland and Whakatāne, Auckland and Kapiti Coast and Auckland and Whanganui. Its main base is Chatham Islands / Tuuta Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research</span> New Zealand national research institute

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA, is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences. It also maintains nationally and, in some cases, internationally important environmental monitoring networks, databases, and collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kapiti Fine Foods</span> Manufacturer of dairy products

Kapiti Fine Foods Ltd is a New Zealand company that produces dairy products such as cheeses and ice cream. It takes its name from its original site at Lindale on the Kāpiti Coast. It was founded in 1984 and has factories in Palmerston North. It has been owned by Fonterra since 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado climatology</span> Climate factors contributing to the formation of tornadoes

Tornadoes have been recorded on all continents except Antarctica. They are most common in the middle latitudes where conditions are often favorable for convective storm development. The United States has the most tornadoes of any country, as well as the strongest and most violent tornadoes. A large portion of these tornadoes form in an area of the central United States popularly known as Tornado Alley. Canada experiences the second most tornadoes. Ontario and the prairie provinces see the highest frequency. Other areas of the world that have frequent tornadoes include significant portions of Europe, South Africa, Philippines, Bangladesh, parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern and southeastern Brazil, northern Mexico, eastern and western Australia, New Zealand, and far eastern Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangawhai</span> Place in Northland Region, New Zealand

Mangawhai is a township at the south-west extent of the Mangawhai Harbour, or Mangawhai Estuary, in Northland, New Zealand. The adjacent township of Mangawhai Heads is 5 km north-east, on the lower part of the harbour. Kaiwaka is 13 km south-west, and Waipu is 20 km north-west of Mangawhai Heads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in New Zealand</span>

The mass media in New Zealand include television stations, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and websites. Media conglomerates like NZME, Stuff, MediaWorks, Discovery and Sky dominate the media landscape. Most media organisations operate Auckland-based newsrooms with Parliamentary Press Gallery reporters and international media partners, but most broadcast programmes, music and syndicated columns are imported from the United States and United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate of New Zealand</span>

The climate of New Zealand is varied due to the country's diverse landscape. Most regions of New Zealand belong to the temperate zone with a maritime climate characterised by four distinct seasons. Winters are relatively mild and summers comparatively cool. The main contributing factors are the Pacific Ocean and latitude, although the mountain ranges can cause significant climate variations in locations barely tens of kilometres from each other. Conditions vary from extremely wet on the West Coast of the South Island to almost semi-arid in Central Otago and subtropical in Northland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in New Zealand</span> Emissions, impacts and responses of New Zealand related to climate change

Climate change in New Zealand involves historical, current and future changes in the climate of New Zealand; and New Zealand's contribution and response to global climate change. Summers are becoming longer and hotter, and some glaciers have melted completely and others have shrunk. In 2021, the Ministry for the Environment estimated that New Zealand's gross emissions were 0.17% of the world's total gross greenhouse gas emissions. However, on a per capita basis, New Zealand is a significant emitter, the sixth highest within the Annex I countries, whereas on absolute gross emissions New Zealand is ranked as the 24th highest emitter.

Michael James Salinger is a New Zealand climate change researcher and teacher who has worked for a range of universities in his home country and around the world. He was a senior climate scientist for a Crown Research Institute, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), and President of the Commission for Agricultural Meteorology of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). He has received several awards and other honours for his work with climate change and is involved in researching and monitoring past and current climate trends. Within his area of specialist scientific knowledge, Salinger has co-authored and edited a range of reports, articles and books. He was involved in an employment dispute and elements of his theory and practice were at the centre of a case against NIWA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 New Zealand winter storm</span> Weather event in New Zealand

The 2013 New Zealand winter storm was a highly intense extratropical cyclone which affected New Zealand on 20–22 June. The storm brought strong winds and high waves especially around the Wellington Region, and further afield chilling cold temperatures and heavy snow to the South Island. The storm was described by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) as an extreme event. The maximum 10-minute average, sustained wind reading, recorded at Wellington airport was 101 km/hour, with individual gusts up to 130–140 km/hour at this location. Winds were equivalent to the strength of a category 1 or 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Record wave heights of 15 m peak to trough were recorded by a buoy offshore from Baring Head in the Cook Strait. The highest wind gust was 202 km/h, at Mt Kaukau, Wellington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Media and Entertainment</span> New Zealand media business

New Zealand Media and Entertainment is a New Zealand newspaper, radio and digital media business. It was launched in 2014 as the formal merger of the New Zealand division of APN News & Media, APN New Zealand; The Radio Network, is formerly part of the Australian Radio Network; and GrabOne, one of New Zealand's biggest ecommerce websites.

The 2021 central New Zealand floods were the result of a torrential rainstorm that affected central New Zealand between 17 and 18 July 2021. This storm led to flooding in the West Coast's Buller District, the Tasman District, and the Marlborough Region in the South Island, prompting the evacuations of residents and the declaration of a state of emergency. Flooding also impacted the Wellington region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods</span> New Zealand natural disaster

Beginning on Friday, 27 January 2023, regions across the upper North Island of New Zealand experienced widespread catastrophic floods caused by heavy rainfall, with Auckland being the most significantly affected as the Auckland Anniversary holiday weekend began.

Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who previously co-hosted the breakfast show AM on Three alongside Melissa Chan-Green and Bernadine Oliver-Kerby. Before this he previously hosted the Ryan Bridge Drive Show on Magic Talk radio.

The following lists events that happened during 2024 in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owha</span> Leopard seal (born before 2012)

Owha is a leopard seal that has been seen throughout the northern North Island of New Zealand, such as in Auckland's Waitematā Harbour, where she likes to sleep on pontoons. Being known for what the news media website Stuff has described as "highly inquisitive behaviour", Owha sometimes breaks fenders and pops inflatable dinghies. The long form of her name, He owha nā ōku tūpuna, is Māori for "treasured gift from our ancestors". The name was given to her in 2016 by local hapū Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei. She was last seen in 2022.

This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2025. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather including strong thunderstorms, winds and hail.

The following lists events that have happened or are expected to happen during 2025 in New Zealand.

References

  1. ↑ "National Weather Service Glossary". National Weather Service. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Tornadoes in New Zealand - FAQs". National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. June 6, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ pg. 5. South Australian Weekly Chronicle. Saturday 5 December 1863
  4. ↑ https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/August_1942_New_Zealand_High_Winds
  5. ↑ "August 1948 Waikato Tornado ( 1948-08-25 )". hwe.niwa.co.nz. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Twister terror: 60 years since NZ's deadliest tornado". stuff.co.nz. January 31, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  7. ↑ https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/May_1968_Bay_of_Plenty_Tornado
  8. ↑ "January 1983 Canterbury Tornado and Hail ( 1983-01-19 )". hwe.niwa.co.nz. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  9. ↑ https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/April_1991_Northland,_Auckland_and_Waikato_Tornadoes
  10. ↑ Tornado
  11. ↑ "New Zealand's official weather forecasts & warnings - Meteorological Service of New Zealand". MetService.co.nz. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  12. ↑ https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/August_2004_New_Zealand_Storm
  13. ↑ "March 2005 West Coast Tornado ( 2005-03-10 )". hwe.niwa.co.nz. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  14. ↑ https://stormchasers.co.nz/reports/waimate-tornado-and-gustnado-south-of-christchurch/
  15. ↑ "Emergency declared after NZ tornados". West Australian Newspapers Pty Ltd. The West Australian. July 5, 2007. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  16. ↑ McLean, Tamara (May 4, 2011). "Breaking news". AAP. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Tornado rips through New Zealand city of Auckland". BBC News. May 3, 2011.
  18. ↑ "New Plymouth rocked by tornado terror". ONE News. TVNZ. June 19, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Auckland tornado kills 3, hits 150 homes". stuff.co.nz. December 6, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  20. ↑ https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/north-canterbury/9758974/Tornado-clean-up-in-Amberley
  21. ↑ https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tornado-strikes-homes-as-storm-lashes-town/25RE4X6V4UOOFJCW7BR6CGZUFU/
  22. ↑ "Post-tornado cleanup in Mount Maunganui". NZ Herald. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  23. ↑ Newshub
  24. ↑ "Tornado leaves trail of destruction at Coopers Beach". NZ Herald. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Wild weather aftermath: 'The place looks like a war zone' - Auckland resident". The New Zealand Herald. August 12, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  26. ↑ "More wild weather: Tornado strikes New Plymouth". The New Zealand Herald. August 12, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  27. ↑ McRae, Tom (August 19, 2019). "Pictures of devastating tornado tearing through Auckland's Viaduct Harbour". Newshub. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  28. ↑ https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/117510613/12kmtall-thunderstorm-cloud-spawned-destructive-christchurch-tornado>
  29. ↑ "SunLive - Tornado rips through Papamoa causing mayhem - The Bay's News First". sunlive.co.nz. June 27, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  30. ↑ https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/June_2021_Auckland_Tornado
  31. ↑ "Two tornadoes reported north of Wellington". RNZ . June 1, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Severe storm rips through Waikanae, tornado downs Norfolk pines". Kapiti News. June 9, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Reports of tornado as storm smashes lower North Island". 1News . June 9, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Watch: Tornado tears across Tongariro National Park". December 10, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Tornado sweeps through upper South Island as Aucklanders clean up from another tornado". RNZ . April 10, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  36. ↑ "Kāpiti Coast, Waitara in Taranaki hit by a tornadoes - roofs damaged, trees down". The New Zealand Herald . April 11, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Tornado hits Kāpiti Coast, roofs damaged, trees downed". RNZ . April 11, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  38. ↑ https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350130558/tornado-tales-wake-freak-hutt-valley-storm
  39. ↑ "Tornado tears through Mangawhai, homes damaged, power could be out for days". The New Zealand Herald . January 26, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Mangawhai tornado: Residents clean up after shock storm". RNZ . January 26, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.