The 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, also known as the Napier earthquake, occurred in New Zealand at 10:47 am on 3 February, killing 256,[4] injuring thousands and devastating the Hawke’s Bay region. It remains New Zealand’s deadliest natural disaster. Centred 15 km north of Napier, it lasted for two and a half minutes and had a magnitude of 7.8 Ms (7.7 Mw).[1] There were 525 aftershocks recorded in the following two weeks, […]
Start of the Wellington to Lyttelton yacht race on 23 January 1951. Centennial yacht race ends in tragedy Twenty yachts left Wellington bound for Lyttelton in an ocean yacht race to celebrate Canterbury’s centenary. A race had been sailed the opposite way in 1940 to celebrate the capital’s centenary. It was expected that the yachts
In early January 1951, a series of minor explosions and earthquakes rocked Mount Lamington, a volcano in Oro Province, Territory of Papua and New Guinea. Prior to the eruption, Mount Lamington was not recognized as a volcano due to the absence of historically-recorded eruptions and dense vegetation cover. From January 15, volcanic activity intensified, and tall eruption plumes were generated.
The 464-ton coastal freighter MV Holmglen sank in a storm off Timaru on 24 November 1959. All fifteen crew died, although only three bodies were recovered. The ship was only three years old and a court of inquiry could find no explanation for the sinking. Holmglen left Oamaru on 23 November bound for Wanganui via Wellington under the
Holmglen sinks, New Zealand. 24th of November 1959 Read More »
Volcanic activity can include ashfall, falling rocks, hot gases and volcanic rock, lava flows, and massive mudflows. Find out what to do before, during and after volcanic activity. A volcano is a landform that results from a volcanic eruption. New Zealand is situated on the Ring of Fire, around the Pacific Ocean. This ring contains
Storms can happen any time of the year. They can bring strong winds, heavy rain or snow, thunder, lightning, tornadoes and rough seas. Find out what to do before, during and after a storm. New Zealand often gets hit by storms as it lies between 40 and 50 degrees latitude south. This is the ‘Roaring Forties’
Floods happen often in New Zealand and can cause a lot of damage and loss of life. Find out what to do before, during and after flooding. Floods are New Zealand’s number one hazardfof frequency, losses and declared civil defence emergencies. Floods can cause injury and loss of life. Be prepared for fast-flowing water filled
All of New Zealand’s coastline is at risk of tsunami. Knowing the warning signs and the right action to take can help save lives. Find out what to do before, during and after a tsunami. A tsunami is a series of powerful waves with strong current. They can be caused by an earthquake, volcanic eruption,
Gravity always wins Landslides are a natural process that removes material from hills, mountains, and coastlines, gradually lowering and flattening the topography. Unstable land Compared to many other countries, New Zealand has a high number of landslides. As mountain ranges are still being uplifted, they have high relief and steep slopes. Rocks are often weakened
What is a volcano? A volcano is a landform (such as a mountain, island or crater) caused by the eruption of molten rock through a vent at the surface. This hot rock is known as magma when it is underground, but when it is erupted from a volcano it is called lava. When it explodes
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