Natural Disasters
Calls for strengthened telecommunications following wild winds
The Otago Regional Council fears lessons haven't been learned almost three years after Cyclone Gabrielle highlighted significant weaknesses in critical infrastructure. Tess Brunton reports. Audio
Large vegetation fire in Darfield
A large vegetation fire is spreading and destroying structures near Darfield in Canterbury. Reporter Adam Burns spoke to Charlotte Cook. Audio
Close eye on Whakaari/White Island after two eruptions
The Bay of Plenty volcano is at alert level three and aviation colour-code orange after cameras picked up two small eruptions on Thursday.
Hurricane Melissa's death toll climbs to 44, storm churns north
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday as a powerful Category 5 hurricane, the Caribbean nation's strongest-ever storm to directly hit its shores, and the first major…
'Why weren't people evacuated?': Protests in Valencia on anniversary of deadly floods
Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many carrying photos of victims, called on regional leader Carlos Mazon to resign over the handling of the 2024 disaster.
MetService, NEMA warn of 'dangerous' Labour Day weather
Forecasters issue widespread warnings for heavy rain, gales and snow across much of the country on Monday.
What you need to know: Southland, Clutha still in state of emergency
Extreme winds have wreaked havoc across the lower South Island, where some face a week without power.
'Backbone of our networks broken': Parts of Southland, Otago face week without power
Transpower's network is fully operational, but power distribution companies have been hard hit.
Hawke's Bay, Canterbury fires mostly under control after week of wild weather
Firegrounds at Kaikōura and Leader Road at Waiau were expected to be handed back to landowners on Friday.
The Panel with Penny Ashton and Nick Leggett, Part 1
Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Penny Ashton and Nick Leggett. First up, they check in with the Student Volunteer Army in Invercargill, as they enter clean-up mode from… Audio
How to make sure you get insurance payouts after wild weather
As the wild weather subsides for most of us, attention is now turning to the clean-up job and filing insurance claims To share some advice on how to get your claim accepted quickly, Patrick O'Meara… Audio
The Pre-Panel for 22 October 2025
The Pre-Panel with Wallace Chapman, producer Tom Riste-Smith and Jesse Mulligan. Audio
How do you prepare for the forecasted wild winds?
If you thought yesterday's wind was bad, with gusts well over 110Km/h in parts of the country, well brace yourselves for tomorrow. The MetService says winds could reach up to 150 km an hour, issuing… Audio
Morning Report Essentials for Tuesday 21 October 2025
Opposition leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; Reaction to Labour's Future Fund announcement; Auckland Transport brings back Pothole Promise; How prepared are we for a volcanic eruption… Audio
What makes Ruapehu tick - and boom?
How to predict when Ruapehu might next erupt is an important, but difficult, question. A group of researchers thought: why not recreate the volcano in a lab?
Disbelief over no centralised emergency platform during Cyclone Gabrielle
A former Civil Defence controller told an inquest that the Christchurch earthquakes had shown the need for the platform.
'I live with it everyday': Officer emotional recalling Whakaari/White Island tragedy
Police officer Sergeant Russell Owen, was at times close to tears as he recollected the events of 9 December 2019, where 22 people died and 25 others were injured.
Cyclone Gabrielle inquest: Possible Esk River mouth blockage in spotlight
Council hydrologist Craig Goodier was cross-examined over whether logs or concrete may have blocked the waterway.
Emergency response time to White Island eruption questioned
The coronial inquest also heard police did not follow the prepared eruption response plan in 2019.
Cyclone Gabrielle: Hydrologist took two hours to tell Civil Defence about equipment failure
Hawke's Bay Regional Council's flood forecaster has been questioned about whether his language about the flood risk accurately conveyed the urgency and threat to life. Audio