Category: disasters
-
SH 2 Northbound Closed Near Petone After Serious Crash
State Highway 2 northbound near Petone is currently closed due to a single-vehicle crash that occurred early this morning. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at 5:17 am. One individual involved in the incident has sustained serious injuries and…
-
Person Dies After Being Washed Away at Piha Beach
A person has died after being washed away by waves at Piha Beach. Police were called to the scene around 12:30pm today following a report of a person being swept out to sea. The Police Eagle helicopter was deployed to…
-
MetService Issues Heavy Rain Warning for Buller District
MetService has issued a Heavy Rain Warning for the ranges of the Buller District, north of Westport. The warning is in effect for eight hours from 8:00pm on Thursday, December 25th, to 4:00am on Friday, December 26th. Residents can expect…
-
Man in Custody Over Ruatiti Homicide Investigation
A 29-year-old man, sought for questioning in relation to a double homicide in Ruatiti, has surrendered to police. The man presented himself at the Whanganui Police Station today at approximately 1:30 PM. He was arrested on an active warrant and…
-
MetService Issues Severe Weather Outlook for New Zealand
MetService has issued a severe weather outlook, predicting unsettled conditions across New Zealand. On Saturday, December 27, 2025, northwesterlies are expected to ease over the northern part of the country, with a weak ridge spreading onto much of New Zealand.…
-
Heavy Rain Warning Issued for Parts of New Zealand
MetService has issued a Severe Weather Warning at 9:44 am on Thursday, December 25, 2025, indicating heavy rain for parts of New Zealand. A slow-moving front is situated over the north of the South Island today and is expected to…
-
Heavy Rain Warning Issued for South Island, New Zealand
MetService has issued a severe weather warning for the South Island, New Zealand, effective Christmas Day. A front moving northwards is expected to bring heavy rain and severe gales to several regions. The warning, issued at 8:57pm on Wednesday, December…
WeatherDisastersAustralasiaGeneral Weather MetServiceSevere Weather WarningSouth IslandHeavy RainBullerCanterburyNZ MetService
-
Person Dies in New Plymouth House Fire
One person has died following a house fire in New Plymouth overnight. Emergency services were called to a property on Trelawney Crescent around 2:30 a.m. today after reports of a house fire. Sadly, one person was found deceased at the…
-
Blockhouse Bay Road Closed After Vehicle Collides with Power Pole
A section of Blockhouse Bay Road in Auckland is currently closed due to a damaged power pole. The incident occurred just after midday near the intersection with Matata Street, where emergency services responded to a single vehicle crash. According to…
-
Crash Closes State Highway 25, Hauraki
State Highway 25 in Hauraki is closed near Hauraki Road's intersection due to a crash reported just before midday. The two-vehicle accident involved a truck. Three people sustained serious injuries, while two others have moderate injuries. Motorists should avoid the…
-
MetService Issues Severe Weather Outlook for Boxing Day
A severe weather outlook issued by MetService at 10:18am on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, indicates that several fronts and troughs will affect New Zealand on Boxing Day, December 26, 2025, bringing rain or showers, especially to western areas. For the…
-
Body Found Near Thames Coast Road
A body was found on the beach near Thames Coast Road, Kereta, after a report at around 6:10am. According to Duty Inspector Neil Faulkner, formal identification is pending, but police believe the body is of a man reported missing on…
-
SH50, Fernhill, Hastings Closure Extended Due to Vegetation Fire
State Highway 50, Fernhill, Hastings, will remain closed overnight due to a vegetation fire that occurred near the highway. The incident took place this afternoon, prompting an immediate response from authorities. Police are advising the public to avoid the affected…
Politics and GovernmentDisastersTransportationLaw Enforcement
-
Cell Phone Signal Leads to Rescue of Stranded Trio in Kaitoke Regional Park
Three young men were rescued after spending a cold, wet night stranded in a gorge, thanks to a sliver of cell phone reception. The trio had intended to float down the Hutt River in the Kaitoke Regional Park. According to…
Politics and GovernmentWorldDisastersLaw Enforcement Kaitoke Regional ParkHutt RiverSearch and RescueNew Zealand Defence ForceJonathan WestruppWellingtonPersonal Locator BeaconNew Zealand Police
-
State Highway 50 in Hastings Closed Due to Vegetation Fire
State Highway 50 in Fernhill, Hastings, is currently closed due to a vegetation fire near the highway. Police were alerted to the fire around 2.50pm and are assisting Fire and Emergency New Zealand with evacuations. As of now, there have…
Politics and GovernmentDisastersTransportationLaw Enforcement State Highway 50FernhillHastingsVegetation FireRoad ClosureNew Zealand PoliceFire and Emergency New Zealand
-
Lindis Pass Road Blocked After Two-Vehicle Crash
Lindis Pass Road at Omarama is currently blocked following a two-vehicle crash reported around 10 a.m. Emergency services were called to the scene at the intersection with Short Cut Road. Fortunately, only minor injuries were sustained. However, the road remains…
TransportationDisastersLaw Enforcement Lindis Pass RoadOmaramaTwo-Vehicle CrashRoad BlockedEmergency ServicesTraffic IncidentNew Zealand Police
-
MetService Issues Severe Weather Outlook for Christmas and Beyond
A severe weather outlook issued by MetService at 10:19am on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, indicates potential for severe weather across parts of New Zealand from Christmas Day through the weekend. On Thursday, December 25, a front is expected to affect…
-
Boatie Rescued from Lake Taupō After Boat Fire
A boatie was fortunate to survive after a fishing trip on Lake Taupō went awry, prompting a water safety warning from Police and local iwi. Police were alerted around 6:45 pm following reports of a boat fire seen from Kinloch.…
Politics and GovernmentDisastersSocial IssuesLaw Enforcement Lake Taupōboat firewater safetymarine search and rescueKinlochBarry ShepherdRakeipoho TaiaroaNew Zealand Police
-
Search Underway for Missing Person Near Waikawau Boat Ramp
A search is underway for a person reported missing in the water near the Waikawau boat ramp. Police were alerted at approximately 9.45am following reports that someone was in difficulty off the Thames Coast Road. One person had reached the…
DisastersLaw Enforcement WaikawauThames Coast RoadPolice EagleCoastguard HowickAuckland Coastguard Air PatrolFire and Emergency New ZealandMissing PersonNew Zealand Police
-
Correction: Road Closure Update Following Crash in Seadown, Canterbury
The New Zealand Police have issued a correction regarding a road closure in Seadown, Canterbury, following a crash. An earlier statement incorrectly reported that Seadown Road was closed between Arowhenua Station Road and State Highway 1. The police have clarified…
-
MetService Issues Severe Weather Outlook for Christmas Week
A west to northwest flow is expected to cover New Zealand on Christmas Eve, with embedded fronts affecting the North Island and southern and western parts of the South Island. According to the MetService Severe Weather Outlook issued on Monday,…
-
Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake Strikes Balleny Islands Region
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the Balleny Islands region on December 21, 2025, at 13:12:48 UTC, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake's epicenter was located at 61.983S, 161.417E, with a depth of 10 km. The quake was approximately…
WeatherScience & TechnologyDisastersAustralasiaGeneral Weather EarthquakeBalleny IslandsUSGSSeismologyGeological SurveyNatural DisastersUSGS Earthquake Reports
-
Crash Closes Northbound Lanes on Waikato Expressway
A single-vehicle crash has shut down the northbound lanes on the Waikato Expressway (SH1) near Hampton Downs. Emergency services are responding to the incident, where a fire broke out in the vehicle. Fortunately, there have been no reports of serious…
TransportationDisastersLaw Enforcement Waikato ExpresswaySH1Hampton Downssingle-vehicle crashvehicle fireroad closureNew Zealand Police
-
Police Investigate Unexplained Death Near Waiotapu
Police are investigating a sudden death near Waiotapu Loop Road, Waiotapu, after emergency services were called to an incident at approximately 6.15am. One person was found unresponsive after being pulled from the water. Authorities are currently working to determine the…
Law EnforcementSocial IssuesDisasters Waiotapusudden deathpolice investigationemergency servicesWaiotapu Loop RoadNew Zealand Policeunexplained death
-
MetService Issues Severe Weather Outlook for Christmas Week
A severe weather outlook issued by MetService at 9:28 am on Sunday, December 21, 2025, indicates a likelihood of heavy rain and strong winds across parts of New Zealand from Tuesday, December 23rd, through Boxing Day. On Tuesday, a front…
-
Tawa Off-Ramp Closed Due to Crash
State Highway 1 by the Tawa off-ramp is completely closed following a single-vehicle crash. Emergency services were called to the scene around 6.20am. One person received serious injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance services. A diversion is in…
Politics and GovernmentTransportationLaw EnforcementDisasters Tawaoff-rampState Highway 1WellingtoncrashSH 59Mungavin AveNew Zealand Police
-
Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake Strikes Balleny Islands Region
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck the Balleny Islands region on December 20, 2025, at 10:25:04 UTC, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake's epicenter was located at 63.692S, 172.383E, with a depth of 10 km.…
Science & TechnologyWorldDisasters EarthquakeBalleny IslandsUS Geological SurveySeismologyNatural DisasterPapatowaiUSGS Earthquake Reports
-
Crash Blocks State Highway 1 in Dunsandel, Canterbury
A crash on State Highway 1, Dunsandel, near the intersection with Selwyn Lake Road has blocked the road. The three-car collision was reported to Police just before 8pm. One person is reported to have serious injuries, two people have moderate…
TransportationLaw EnforcementDisastersSocial IssuesAustralasia
-
Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake Strikes Balleny Islands Region
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the Balleny Islands region on December 20, 2025, at 06:57:10 UTC, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake, which occurred at a depth of 10 km, was centered at 63.894S, 172.707E. The epicenter was…
WeatherScience & TechnologyDisastersGeneral Weather EarthquakeBalleny IslandsUSGSSeismologyGeological SurveyNatural disasterUSGS Earthquake Reports
-
Crash Closes Ohaupo Road in Melville, Waikato
Ohaupo Road in Melville, near Mount View Road, is currently closed due to a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. The incident was reported just after 6pm. According to initial reports, one person has sustained serious injuries as a…
TransportationLaw EnforcementSocial IssuesDisastersAustralasia