Warnings alert mariners to potential dangers and risks. Coastal navigational warnings, radio navigational warnings, NAVAREA XIV warnings and meteorological warnings are all explained below.

Learn more about New Zealand’s maritime radio service

Coastal navigational warnings

Coastal navigational warnings are issued by Maritime New Zealand and cover coastal waters out to a distance of 300 miles from the coast.

Maritime New Zealand’s coastal navigational warnings are broadcast from:

Taupo Maritime Radio (ZLM)
all Maritime Radio VHF stations
on the Inmarsat – C Safety NET system via the Pacific Ocean region satellite through the land earth station in Burum, Netherlands.

The more important coastal navigation warnings, such as the failure of landfall lights, may be repeated, and continue to be broadcast as long range navigational warnings over New Zealand's entire NAVAREA XIV. These broadcasts are repeated until the warning is no longer required.

Coastal navigation warnings do not contain meteorological information.

Radio navigational warnings

Radio navigational warnings give information about marine dangers and aids to navigation. These warnings are primarily to assist mariners in navigating up to the entrance of ports.

The type of information contained in radio navigational warnings is not limited, but the following are some examples:

damage to lights and buoys affecting main shipping lanes
the presence of dangerous wrecks in or near main shipping lanes and, if relevant, their markings
establishment of major new aids to navigation or significant changes to existing ones when such establishment or change might be misleading to shipping
the presence of large, unwieldy tows in congested waters
areas where search and rescue (SAR) and anti-pollution operations are being carried out
the presence and location of newly discovered rocks, shoals, reefs and wrecks which are likely to constitute a danger to shipping
unexpected alteration or suspension of established routes
cable or pipe laying activities or other underwater operations constituting potential dangers in or near shipping lanes
establishment of offshore structures in or near shipping lanes
significant malfunctioning of radio navigation services
information concerning special operations which might affect the safety of shipping, sometimes over wide areas, eg naval exercises, missile firings, space missions, nuclear tests etc
derelict vessels, where the information is recent and sufficiently accurate
drifting mines.

Radio navigational warnings are broadcast from Taupo Maritime Radio (ZLM) and all Maritime VHF Radio stations.

Learn about using the maritime radio service

NAVAREA XIV warnings (Southwest Pacific)

NAVAREA XIV warnings are issued from the Hydrographic Office of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), Wellington.

The area of the southwest Pacific is detailed in the New Zealand Annual Notices to Mariners.

NZ Annual Notice to Mariners [Land Information New Zealand]

Maritime New Zealand’s NAVAREA XIV warnings are broadcast from:

Taupo Maritime Radio (ZLM)
all Maritime Radio VHF stations
on the Inmarsat – C Safety NET system via the Pacific Ocean region satellite through the land earth station in Burum, Netherlands.

Meteorological warnings

Meteorological warnings such as forecasts of gales, storms, cyclones or tropical revolving storms are broadcast at scheduled times as described in the New Zealand Nautical Almanac. This Almanac is available online and from chart retailers.

New Zealand Nautical Almanac [Land Information New Zealand]

See our list of marine forecast sources