221:. The day had begun with a reasonably calm sea, but the barometer had been falling from 30.30 the previous evening to 30.07 in at noon. The wind from the east was strengthening and sea became rougher. At 6pm the barometer had fallen to 30.00 and the sea was heavy with a strengthening gale. The gale continued to strengthen through the evening and by midnight the barometer had dropped to 29.96 with violent squalls and rain. Through the next day the wind turned towards the south and increased in intensity. By midnight the barometer had dropped to 29.30. At 4am on the 2 February the barometer dropped to 28.93, but the wind died away with the ship having reached the centre of the cyclone. The barometer fell to its lowest point 28.82 at 2pm, with the wind beginning to return to cyclonic strength. Through the remainder of the day the wind gradually changed to a westerly direction. Through the night the wind began to drop in intensity and by the 3rd the weather had improved significantly.
173:
and the West Coast reported high winds and seas. On 1 February
Auckland reported a cyclone of shore and winds at their highest since the settlement began in the 1840s. The wind was from an easterly quarter, changing to the north-west on the 5th. At Nelson gales demolished some buildings and uprooted
44:, which peaked in New Zealand over the period between the 3rd and 4th. In total 2,585 tons of shipping was lost, which was nearly half the tonnage lost during the full year. The flooding in the south of the
301:
Worst flooding ever recorded with all rivers at high levels. Over 3,000 sheep drowned. Christchurch and surrounding towns isolated from one another. Severe damage to roads and bridges throughout the area.
40:– and causing extensive flooding. About 40 people are known to have died and at the time an estimated £500,000 to £1 million worth of damage was caused. The storm is currently thought to have been an
551:
Extensive damage from flooding and wind. One elderly man died but the cause was not stated. The flooding was the worst the residents had experienced. Numerous fruit trees were damaged.
324:
overtopped its banks with flood waters reaching around the base of the Godley statue in
Cathedral Square. The river was 10 feet above its normal level. The
1007:
854:
213:
a 703-ton sailing ship under
Captain D T Roberts encountered the storm on the 31 January to the north of New Zealand in the vicinity of the
150:
recorded 12.91 inches of rain over the period 3–5 February, with 7.03 inches falling on the 5th. Bealey 3.07 inches in 24 hours and
92:
At the time the great storm struck there were a small number of meteorological observation stations around New
Zealand under Dr.
1022:
1037:
1032:
97:
1017:
351:
359:
1012:
835:
Tropical cyclones in
Vanuatu - 1847 to 1994, Vanuatu Meteorological Service, Punbliation no: VMS/C/01/93, 19 May 1994
795:
469:
driven ashore on 3 February and wrecked. All the crew were rescued by the bay's residents. The next day the cutter
346:
Extensive flooding, Mill Dam broke, Rattray and
Macclaggan Streets flooded twice, on the 3rd and 5th. Part of the
1027:
762:, in 1868 to allow the construction of protective works to address the flooding caused during this event by the
767:
321:
347:
292:
132:
759:
491:
329:
175:
941:
HEAVY GALE AND FLOODS IN OTAGO, Wellington
Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2634, 11 February 1868, Page 4
923:
PORT OF AUCKLAND. MISCELLANEOUS, Daily
Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3310, 25 February 1868, Page 2
275:
116:
41:
887:
LOSS OF LIFE, AND GREAT DESTRUCTION. OF PROPERTY, Colonist, Volume XI, Issue 1090, 6 March 1868, Page 2
52:
population, if any, was not known as many lived in isolated areas, newspaper reporting of the time was
100:. There was no ability for them, at that time, to know of the storms origin, approach, or intensity.
755:
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9 people reported drowned when the
Waiareka Stream washed away the two houses they were living in.
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147:
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Heavy storm in the Bay, Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 57, 3 February 1868, Page 30
850:
815:
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325:
69:
57:
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and
Blenheim township flooded, some bridges and roads washed away. Many livestock drowned.
174:
numerous trees. Christchurch had a violent north-easterly gale with heavy rain on the 2nd.
1042:
49:
905:
PORT OF AUCKLAND, Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3294, 6 February 1868, Page 2
413:
was stranded and wrecked 10 miles south of Hokianga. Only one of her 8 seamen survived.
190:
was seen. Lightning was also reported at Nelson. There was a severe electrical storm at
869:
The Late Storm, Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 59, 17 February 1868, Page 43
1001:
932:
THE LATE HEAVY GALE, Taranaki Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 813, 29 February 1868, Page 1
896:
MISCELLANEOUS, Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3294, 6 February 1868, Page 2
373:
658:
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80:. In the case of this storm, there was a cyclone reported in the New Hebrides (now
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53:
25:
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reported heavy rain commencing on the 2nd, but reducing to showers on the 3rd.
981:"Killer storm sweeps the country | NZHistory, New Zealand history online"
187:
155:
486:
At least 6 people drowned when their houses were washed away by floodwaters.
959:
FURIOUS GALE, Timaru Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 281, 5 February 1868, Page 2
914:
MARLBOROUGH, Timaru Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 283, 12 February 1868, Page 3
128:
615:
418:
395:
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fell from 30.10 deg to 20.60 deg in 24 hours. Barometric pressure on the
112:
639:
1,000 sheep lost and the Taieri plains described as looking like a sea.
337:
303:
191:
159:
81:
73:
68:
Between November and April, New Zealand can occasionally be exposed to
733:
666:
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driven ashore and wrecked. Two children and two or three crew of the
556:
218:
37:
588:
were drowned. The jetty and most surf boats destroyed. The schooner
473:
was wrecked and ships mate drowned while trying to row for shore.
21:
162:
had the heaviest rainfall it had known between the 4th and 5th.
77:
72:
or their remnants. These typically originate in the vicinity of
950:
AUCKLAND, Colonist, Volume XI, Issue 1090, 6 March 1868, Page 3
255:
Road between Arrow Bluff and the lakes cut off by a large slip
849:. Dr James Hector, NZ Meteorological Service. pp. 16–20.
158:
homestead recorded 8.08 inches of rain over a 24-hour period.
28:
between 1–6 February 1868, wrecking 12 ships – including the
536:
driven ashore on 3 February and wrecked. No loss of life.
123:
recorded a minimum of about 968hPA during this event. At
684:
driven ashore and wrecked. One of her crew was drowned.
782:, was a 2008 play by New Zealand playwright and author
592:
was also driven ashore, but the crew escaped unharmed.
186:
Hail 1.5 inch in diameter was reported at Nelson and a
84:) on 30 January 1868 which could have been its origin.
390:
driven ashore on the 3rd and wrecked. Crew survived.
48:
was the worst until 1945. The loss of life among the
657:The yacht was driven onto rocks and sank, and the
508:Two ships were wrecked. They were the schooners
766:overtopping its banks and causing the nearby
8:
368:Mine Bay copper mine machinery washed away.
699:1 person drowned while trying to cross the
228:
56:, and at the time internal conflict, the
625:2 children were drowned by floodwaters.
606:Township destroyed by flooding with the
428:A couple were killed by a falling tree.
816:"February 1868 New Zealand Storm - HWE"
807:
610:being 22 feet above its normal level.
7:
198:was struck by a violent hail storm.
442:Houses and land washed out to sea
14:
332:and the surrounding countryside.
217:, while sailing to Auckland from
178:reported heavy gales on the 3rd.
756:Canterbury Provincial government
743:2 people drowned by floodwaters
98:Geological Survey of New Zealand
60:, was reaching its culmination.
154:1.5 inches in the same period.
983:. Nzhistory.net.nz. 2016-01-07
115:on the 3 February was 955hPA.
1:
1008:Weather events in New Zealand
1059:
969:Canterbury Rivers Act 1868
796:List of shipwrecks in 1868
24:that swept across much of
786:based around the event.
758:introduced legislation,
270:Three children drowned.
780:The Great Storm of 1868
778:Bearing the same name,
348:Dunedin Botanic Gardens
194:on the 6th. On the 4th
88:Meteorological readings
1023:1868 natural disasters
1038:Floods in New Zealand
845:J F De Lisle (1986).
760:Canterbury Rivers Act
728:High winds reported.
42:extratropical cyclone
1033:February 1868 events
360:Great Barrier Island
328:overflowed flooding
1018:1868 in New Zealand
847:Sails to satellites
215:Three Kings Islands
109:Barometric pressure
104:Barometric pressure
18:great storm of 1868
1013:Climate of Vanuatu
784:Michelanne Forster
350:was eroded by the
182:Hail and tornadoes
856:978-0-477-07300-4
764:Waimakariri River
747:
746:
701:Tokomairiro River
326:Waimakariri River
306:totally flooded.
70:tropical cyclones
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1028:1868 meteorology
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818:. Hwe.niwa.co.nz
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586:Star of Tasmania
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562:Star of Tasmania
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135:fell to 980hPA.
58:New Zealand Wars
30:Star of Tasmania
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374:Haumuri Bluff
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985:. Retrieved
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820:. Retrieved
810:
779:
777:
753:
681:
680:The steamer
672:
659:Thames River
650:
631:Taieri Plain
608:Taieri River
589:
585:
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561:
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312:Christchurch
285:Wairau Plain
210:
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196:Invercargill
185:
169:
152:Christchurch
142:
121:New Plymouth
111:recorded at
107:
94:James Hector
91:
67:
46:South Island
33:
29:
17:
15:
774:In the arts
734:West Taieri
721:West Coast
690:Tokomairiro
582:Water Nymph
566:Water Nymph
448:Le Bons Bay
247:Arrow Bluff
54:Eurocentric
34:Water Nymph
26:New Zealand
1002:Categories
987:2016-01-27
822:2016-01-27
802:References
770:to flood.
768:Avon River
496:Schooners
322:Avon River
293:Canterbury
188:waterspout
156:Mount Peel
133:West Coast
750:Aftermath
661:flooded.
492:Lyttelton
471:Challenge
465:Schooner
458:Challenge
452:Schooner
400:The brig
386:Schooner
378:Schooner
330:Fendalton
232:Location
202:The ship
176:Lyttleton
171:Northland
129:barometer
790:See also
671:Steamer
616:Rangiora
434:Kaikōura
419:Hokitika
396:Hokianga
388:Sea Bird
380:Sea Bird
276:Blenheim
241:Comment
139:Rainfall
117:Blenheim
113:Auckland
651:Glitter
574:4 or 5
534:Echunga
527:Echunga
456:Cutter
411:Fortune
402:Fortune
338:Dunedin
304:Kaiapoi
238:Deaths
192:Dunedin
160:Dunedin
82:Vanuatu
74:Vanuatu
1043:Storms
853:
667:Timaru
649:Yacht
645:Thames
598:Outram
557:Oamaru
542:Nelson
522:Napier
467:Breeze
454:Breeze
261:Ashley
225:Damage
219:London
148:Nelson
144:Napier
125:Nelson
64:Origin
38:Oamaru
590:Otago
570:Otago
352:Leith
211:Maori
204:Maori
50:Māori
22:storm
851:ISBN
754:The
580:and
512:and
510:Iona
500:and
498:Iona
409:The
209:The
166:Wind
127:the
119:and
78:Fiji
76:and
32:and
16:The
96:'s
36:at
1004::
740:2
713:9
703:.
696:1
677:1
622:2
564:,
548:1
516:.
483:6
462:1
425:2
406:7
354:.
267:3
990:.
859:.
825:.
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