Wild Winds Batter Katikati, Causing Widespread Damage

Katikati copped a battering from ferocious winds over the weekend of 13–14 September 2025, with gusts reaching 133.3 km/h recorded at Minden on Sunday — well into what MetService classifies as severe gale territory. The Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade responded to 29 callouts in just 14 hours, between 3.30 am and 5 pm on Sunday alone, making it one of the busiest short-burst periods the station had seen in some time. Deputy chief fire officer Craig Gray said damage across the town included iron roofs lifting, roof tiles shifting, sheds and fences blown down, and fallen trees — with one house losing around 90 per cent of its iron roof after it faced the full force of the north-westerly wind over the estuary.

A silver birch tree came down on the grounds of Katikati College on Beach Rd around 10 am Saturday, blocking traffic to one lane until firefighters cleared it and trimmed it back to the school fence so pedestrians could still use the footpath. Principal Louise Buckley confirmed minor damage to guttering and boundary fences had also occurred, and acknowledged her property team for going above and beyond to secure the school grounds over the weekend. Unsecured trampolines caused their own drama — Gray said roughly four trampolines became airborne, with one ending up in the mangroves of the estuary several houses away. His message to residents was clear: if a big weather event is forecast, secure backyard items and hunker down.

Police asked motorists from 11.30 am Saturday to avoid State Highway 2 at Whakamārama after fallen power poles and trees blocked the SH2–Pahoia Rd intersection. No injuries were reported, though traffic faced major delays. Powerco confirmed that by 6 am Monday, 1,695 of its North Island customers were still without power, with the majority in the Western Bay of Plenty. MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon noted that Katikati doesn't typically receive strong north-westerly gusts, making the direction unusual and the effect more intense, with terrain enhancement from the Kaimai Ranges amplifying localised gusts. Gray said the big lesson from the weekend was straightforward: tie things down and make sure everything is secured before a major weather event arrives.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).