Weather and Sea Conditions

TXT Service

Port Taranaki is currently trialling a TXT service to provide weather and shipping information. To use the system send an SMS to 027 654 2613. Valid messages include WEATHER, TIDE, and SHIPS, for a full list use COMMANDS. While this information is as accurate as possible, Port Taranaki Limited will take no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred by the use of this information.

Weather:

The Meteorological Service of NZ (MetService) provides forecasts for the coastal regions of New Zealand. The Raglan area covers New Plymouth and North Taranaki while Stephens covers Hawera, South Taranaki, and Wanganui. A better understanding of the areas can be derived from the Coastal Marine Forecast Areas Map

Beach Conditions:

NIWA maintains several webcams of port sites including New Plymouth's Port Taranaki. At the time of writing the camera shows the view from Fitzroy Surf Club west toward the port.

Wave and Swell:

This graph displays the current and recent wave and swell data. In the top half the wave height is shown in meters, while the bottom displays the wave period. The blue lines display data on the short period or "choppy" waves, while the red lines show the long period waves or "swell". The data from which the graph is drawn is available

Wave period is the time between waves. A short period implies a high frequency. Thus if the period is low there are many more waves hitting the shore. Please note that intepretation of the wave period is dependant on your vessel. It has been suggested that small vessels will prefer longer periods and larger vessels shorter periods.

Tide:

This graph shows the tide height in meters for the past 24 hours. The current tide height is shown by the green line. The data from which the graph is drawn is available

Predictions of tides at Port Taranaki can obtained from www.tides.info

Wind:

This graph displays the current and recent wind direction and speed. In the top half the wind speed is shown in knots, while the bottom displays the winds direction. The green line shows current wind speed and direction. Recent wind activity, starting 24 hours ago, is shown with the coloured trace. The data from which the graph is drawn is available

This graph displays the current and recent wind direction and speed. The black arrow shows current wind speed and direction. Recent wind activity is shown with the coloured trace. The scale is knots