On the afternoon of 20 November 2019, Timaru was struck by a weather event so sudden and severe it was later dubbed “the costliest hailstorm in New Zealand history.” What began as a warm spring day quickly turned into a scene of chaos and destruction — one etched into the memory of every South Cantabrian who experienced it.
Do you get a little storm anxiety after the 2019 hailstorm too? Remember that afternoon of 20 November 2019, when Timaru was struck by a weather event so sudden and severe it was later dubbed “the costliest hailstorm in New Zealand history.” at the time? What began as a warm spring day quickly turned into a scene of chaos and destruction... one that many South Cantabrians who experienced it, will still remember well.
That day had started like many others in late spring: mild temperatures, scattered clouds, and a hint of humidity. It was pretty pleasant on the coast, Chris and I had been tidying up the garden while a cold front was moving rapidly across the South Island, meeting a hot, unstable air mass over South Canterbury, this was the ideal conditions for hail formation... Completely out of the ordinary for our Timaru community. I could see the eerie green-grey sky to the South and was watching it sweep towards us. Chris was picking up the rake when he heard a road worker swear in pain over on the road. he had been hit by one of the first icy missiles that began to fall. Our neighbour, who was on crutches, was on her way inside, and we watched on in anticipation, wondering if she needed help. Thankfully, she made it inside with seconds to spare.
The approaching storm from the South at Patiti Point Timaru - Photography Roselyn Fauth 2019
The hailstorm hit around 3:00pm, hammering down with brutal intensity for over 10-15 minutes. Some hailstones were reportedly as large as golf balls up to 4–5 cm in diameter. That was what we experienced too. We were watching these ice balls pummel our lawn, bouncing seriously high. I was filming a live stream on Facebook, initially with a bit of storm excitement, until we realised that this was going to seriously hurt anyone trapped in it, and damage people's property and spring crops.
The approaching storm from the South at Patiti Point Timaru - Photography Roselyn Fauth 2019 2
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) mid-South Canterbury area commander Steven Greenyer was quoted in the news saying they had received 50 callouts in the afternoon. "Twenty-one of those have been for hail or rain damage."
Within minutes, thousands of vehicles were pocked with dents. Even though ours were parked under the carport, they were not unscathed. Both of our cars were written off. I saw photos of people's glass houses with the young veggie plants torn to pieces. And heard reports of water that backed up through overwhelmed spouting, leading to indoor flooding in some homes and shops.
Hundreds of black-billed gulls and white-fronted terns had either died or been severely injured at the Rangitata River mouth. Several eggs had also broken. Crops were damaged on a widespread scale. My understanding was that farmers often do not insure their crops because they consider it 'expensive', although there is a compulsory levy on wheat that is used to protect the crops.
The cupolas and dome of Timaru's Sacred Heart Basilica experienced severe damage. Work to replace the copper tiling of them was finished in August 2024.
Insurance companies began what would become one of the largest mass claims responses in New Zealand history. The storm wrote off our 2 year old roof, and when it was replaced it leaked, which then wrote off our new ensuite which we only were able to repair in 2024. Its fair to say, I get a little "hail anxiety" when I see that type of weather in the forecast. We lost two cars, and shreded our garden. One initiative by insurers to manage the scale of the claims, was to offer extended settlements for some customers. So even though a car may have been written off as a total loss, if it remained safe and legal to drive, we were able to continue driving it until we purchased a replacement with the funds from insurance settlements. There was a huge demand for replacement cars, and long wait times for overwhelmed repairers. so at least many were still able to get around over Christmas and summer while waiting for cars to be repaired or replaced. Across AMI, State and NZI, they received 13,315 claims for this storm, with total costs of around $110 million. Including 8,457 motor vehicle claims (personal and commercial), 388 other commercial claims, 4,121 home claims and 13 other claims (like boats).
More than 20,000 insurance claims were reportedly lodged, totalling over $130 million in damages. (Wikipedia reported It caused insurers to pay about NZ$171 milion (US$122 million). This placed the Timaru hailstorm among the top five most expensive weather events in the country’s history at the time — an extraordinary figure given the compact geographic area affected. Many local car yards wrote off entire lots of vehicles such as Autoworld Timaru who said 100 cars were dented at their yard. There were broken windscreens and damaged wing mirrors. Claims for house and contents a year later totalled $59.6m, commercial $23.2m, motor $86.2m and crops $1.9m.
The 20 November 2019 hailstorm remains unforgettable. Historically, there has been no other hailstorm of this magnitude captured on record in New Zealand. This was a rare mix of meteorological factors, a reminder of nature’s power. Today, one of our cars still carry the scars on its bonnet, from the day the sky cracked open over Timaru.
The storm looking North after the hail hit Timaru - from South Beach Patiti Point Timaru - Photography Roselyn Fauth 2019
The hailstorm's impact on Timaru and its significance in New Zealand's weather history captured in the media.
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RNZ: “Timaru pelted by huge hailstones as thunderstorm rages” – This article discusses the immediate impact of the storm, including emergency responses and damage reports. rnz.co.nz
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Otago Daily Times: “Hail pelts Timaru” – Offers firsthand accounts and descriptions of the storm's effects on the local community. odt.co.nz+1en.wikipedia.org+1
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Newstalk ZB: “Hail as big as golf balls pummels Timaru” – Details the severity of the hailstorm and its consequences on infrastructure and daily life. odt.co.nz+2newstalkzb.co.nz+2weatherwatch.co.nz+2
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NIWA Historic Weather Events Catalogue: Provides a comprehensive overview of the storm's meteorological aspects and its classification as a significant weather event. nzi.co.nz
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Insurance Council of New Zealand: “Timaru Hailstorm Reaches $170M” – Discusses the financial impact of the storm, highlighting the extent of insurance claims and the economic burden on the community. icnz.org.nz
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Wikipedia: “2019 Timaru hailstorm” – Summarizes the event, including its causes, effects, and aftermath, with references to various sources for further reading. en.wikipedia.org
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WeatherWatch.co.nz: “Hail as big as golfballs pummels Timaru (+Pics & Videos)” – Features images and videos capturing the storm's intensity and the damage caused. en.wikipedia.org+3weatherwatch.co.nz+3newstalkzb.co.nz+3
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The Watchers: “Severe hailstorm hammers Canterbury, New Zealand” – Provides an analysis of the storm's development and its broader impact on the Canterbury region. nzi.co.nz+2watchers.news+2watchers.news+2
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YouTube: “TIMARU HAIL STORM 20 NOV 2019” – A video documenting the hailstorm as it occurred, offering visual insight into the event's severity. youtube.com
Resources and contacts Your local civil defence group In the case of a severe event or emergency, your local authority is responsible for civil defence emergency management in their area. Find your local authority on the national civil defence website: https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/find-your-civil-defence-group/
Get Ready The Get Ready website has information about hazards in New Zealand Aotearoa and advice on how to prepare for an emergency. https://getready.govt.nz/
Metservice Stay up to date with forecasts and conditions in your area, as well as severe weather warnings. https://www.metservice.com/national
NIWA’s weather and climate forecasting services https://niwa.co.nz/services/weather
Insurance Council New Zealand Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa https://www.icnz.org.nz/
Looking North across South Beach to the Port. Photography Roselyn Fauth