Te Huarere Taikaha Severe Weather
Tāmaki Makaurau can experience storms all year around, from tropical cyclones in summer, to strong polar blasts in the winter.
Storms can bring heavy rain, hail, lightning, strong winds, and rough seas. They can also cause dangerous flooding, landslides, and tornadoes.
Severe weather can also pose a risk to people by downing trees and powerlines, damaging homes, infrastructure, and disrupting travel.
Learn more about the risks, and how you can take a few simple steps to prepare for severe weather ahead of time.
Types of Severe Weather
Strong winds
High winds can damage roofs, knock down trees, and lift large, heavy objects and send them crashing into homes. Anything not secured may become a projectile, causing property damage and injury.
Strong winds can also cause trees and branches to fall onto power-lines, or force the closure of infrastructure, such as the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms can bring lightning, heavy rain, and hail. They can form quickly and cause flash flooding.
When the stormwater network reaches capacity during heavy rain, or there is a blockage, greater volumes of water flow overland and may cause flooding.
Lightning strikes also pose a risk to anyone outdoors.
Coastal storm surges
Strong winds and high tides can cause flooding in low-lying coastal areas. When a surge coincides with a king tide, seawater can move beyond the normal shoreline, affecting waterfront properties, roads, and infrastructure.
Auckland's long coastline and many harbourside suburbs make storm surges a particular concern during severe weather events.
Tropical cyclones
These bring heavy rain, strong winds, and storm surges, causing severe damage and flooding. Ex-tropical cyclones that track down from the Pacific can still carry significant impact by the time they reach Auckland.
The combined effect of wind, rain, and storm surges can cause widespread damage to trees, buildings, and infrastructure, sometimes over several days as the system passes.
Tornadoes
A tornado is a narrow, rotating column of air. It extends downwards to the ground from the base of a thunderstorm.
When they do occur, they're typically brief and localised to one area of Auckland, but are still dangerous and capable of stripping roofs, uprooting trees, and harming both people and infrastructure.
What Should I Do?
Before severe weather
Get your home ready ahead of time
Make trees more wind-resistant by removing diseased or damaged branches.
Clear away leaves and debris from gutters and drains to help reduce flooding or water damage.
Green waste and tree removal services may be unavailable just before a storm, so do this regularly instead of waiting for severe weather.
Make sure your home and contents insurance is up to date, and covers storm damage.
Create your household emergency plan
Make sure family, friends and flatmates know what you’ll do in case of an emergency.
Think about if you were to lose power, particularly if you rely on electricity for medical needs, pumps or septic systems.
Check your emergency supplies
Ensure you have at least three days of water and food supplies.
Have torches, spare batteries, a battery-operated radio and a full gas bottle for your BBQ.
Make an alternate plan if you rely on power for medical needs, pumps or septic systems.
If severe weather is forecasted for Auckland
Bring inside or tie down anything that strong winds could pick up - this includes outdoor furniture, trampolines and loose items such as firewood and branches.
Close any windows, shutters, and doors you have to reduce potential injury from glass shattering.
Bring pets indoors.
Check on your neighbours and anyone who might need your help.
During severe weather
Stay informed
Follow the latest weather forecast and warnings via Metservice.
Stay updated on the latest advice from Auckland Emergency Management and emergency services.
Beware of hazards
Be careful of items that may conduct electricity if your home is struck by lightning, like metal bathtubs, taps, and sinks.
Unplug small appliances that could be affected by electrical power surges.
If you lose power, unplug bigger appliances. This will reduce the power surge and possible damage when power is restored.
Look out for falling or damaged trees, damaged roads, and debris.
Treat every powerline as live, even if it’s on the ground. Call your local network provider to report any powerlines that are down or are at risk of coming down.
Keep yourself safe
Stay indoors and avoid driving during severe weather.
If you're already on the road, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low lying areas and floodwater.
Never drive, walk, or play in floodwaters - even a small amount can sweep you off your feet and increase risk of drowning.
After severe weather
Return safely
Keep following official channels for updates, as well as the advice from Auckland Emergency Management and emergency services.
If you have evacuated, don’t return to your home until you are told it is safe to do so.
Stay alert for further rainfall, flooding, landslides and debris hazards, especially when driving.
Check for damage
Inspect your property for any damage, especially essential services like water, power, gas and sewerage.
Keep records and take photos of what has been damaged, then report any losses to your insurance company, or your landlord if you're renting.
Report any damage to public land via Auckland Council's "Report a Problem" tool.
Clean up safely
Do not do anything that puts your safety at risk or causes more damage to your property.
Be careful around trees that may have been damaged by high winds.
Follow advice about cleaning up debris from Auckland Council and AEM.
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