Cyclone Cook is being described as the "worst storm in 60 years", so what was the storm that occurred six decades ago?
Cyclone Giselle, more widely known as the Wahine storm, caused the sinking of the inter-island ferry off Wellington Heads with a loss of 54 lives.
The storm struck at the same time of year as Cyclone Cook, almost to the exact day. From April 9-10 1968, winds of up to 150km/h at Wellington Airport were tracked and high seas and storm tides occurred along the east and south coasts of the North Island.
The storm formed when tropical cyclone Gisele arrived from Norfolk Island at the same time as an upper-level trough approached from the west.
Official readings put gusts at the peak of the storm at 200km/h, the highest gusts ever recorded in Wellington at the time.
The Wahine, anchored near shore, had 750 people on board. As the storm raged, just before 1.30pm, the order was finally given to abandon ship.
"Passengers, who had been unaware of just how serious the situation was, were confused and frightened," says the Ministry for Culture and Heritage website.
"People slid across the sloping deck, trying to make their way to the lifeboats.
"Some passengers had removed their life jackets during the morning and were using them as pillows when the order came to abandon ship."
Fifty-one people lost their lives that day, with more dying in the following weeks from injuries.
Newshub.
