September 16, 1891 Tsunami: New Brighton, New Zealand
A tsunami of unknown cause began at New Brighton, New Zealand on September 16, 1891 at 21:30 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- September 16, 1891, 21:30 UTC
- Source
- New Brighton, New Zealand
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 43.510° S, 172.730° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #5324:
Time of first observation (NZMT): 9:00.
"Tidal wave observed at New Brighton." (Barnett, M. A. F. GNS files)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Brighton | New Zealand | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1891The 1800sTsunamis of New ZealandThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 5529.