With severe wind forecast, now is not the time to be out on the water

15 April 2025

MARITIME NZ Web Content Template v1.

MARITIME NZWeb Content Template v1.0

Web Page Content Template

Use this template to prepare content for the Maritime NZ website. Complete all required fields (*) before submitting for review. Yellow cells indicate where content should be entered.

1. Change summary

This section provides a summary of any updates that have been made to the content, including where content has been refreshed.

2. Page Identification & Migration

This section identifies the page and links it to existing content being replaced or consolidated.

New Page Title *

With severe wind forecast, now is not the time to be out on the water

URL Slug *

 

Parent Section *

☐ Commercial Operators    ☐ Seafarers    ☐ Recreational Boating    ☐ Surveyors    ☐ About Maritime NZ    ☐ Readiness & Response    ☐ HSWA

Full Navigation Path

news/2025/april/with-severe-wind-forecast-now-is-not-the-time-to-be-out-on-the-water/

Migration Details

Link this new page to the existing content it replaces or consolidates.

Source URL(s)

https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/public/news/2025/april/with-severe-wind-forecast-now-is-not-the-time-to-be-out-on-the-water/

Migration Action

☐ New content (no source)    ☐ Migrate as-is    ☐ Migrate with updates    ☐ Consolidate multiple pages    ☐ Complete rewrite

Redirect Required?

Yes    ☐ No If yes, old URLs will redirect to the new page URL.

3. Metadata & SEO

This information helps search engines and users find the page. Meta titles and descriptions appear in search results.

Meta Title *

With severe wind forecast, now is not the time to be out on the water

Meta Description *

MARITIME NZ Web Content Template v1.

Primary Audience *

Commercial operators    ☐ Seafarers    ☐ Recreational boaters    ☐ Surveyors    ☐ General public    ☐ Industry stakeholders    ☐ Internal staff

Content Type

☐ Landing page    ☐ Guide/How-to    ☐ Policy/Rules    ☐ Form/Application    ☐ News/Update    ☐ Resource/Download    ☐ Contact/Service

Topic Tags

 

4. Page Content

3.1 Introduction

Page Summary *

 

Published date

16 April 2025

3.2 Main Body Content

Maritime NZ wants to remind ‘she’ll be righters’ and thrill seekers to stay off the water while a significant weather event tracks its way over parts of the country.

With Easter paired up with ANZAC Day, many people will be planning to head out onto the water.

MetService says bands of heavy rain and strong winds are forecast for many parts of northern and central New Zealand - starting today in the north, then sweeping south during Thursday and Friday.

Today, winds gusting more than 50 knots (90 km/h plus) have been recorded off the coasts of Auckland, Northland and the Coromandel.

Maritime NZ’s Principal Advisor Recreational Craft, Matt Wood says it is just not worth it to head out in these conditions.

"Some of the winds forecast for the top half of the North Island are the strongest since 2017.

"It is best to stay at home during this period.

"Going out on the water with the expected conditions puts you, and potentially rescuers at risk should you get into trouble," Matt Wood says.

Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre alongside NZ Police are responsible for coordinating search and rescue action when this is required.

RCCNZ’s General Manager, Justin Allan says they are staffed 24/7 and are always ready alongside their search and rescue system partners to coordinate a rescue. However, he strongly encourages anyone planning on going out to understand the weather conditions as well as the risks to avoid the need for search and rescue action in difficult marine conditions.

"Rescue missions need to be safe for those undertaking them. Do not underestimate the conditions, keep yourself safe, and consider the impact on those who may need to come to your assistance should you get into trouble," Justin Allan says.

Over the last couple of years several rescues occurred after recreational vessels were impacted by severe weather events.

"There were some close calls and some tragic incidents as well.

"Last year 17 people lost their lives in recreational boating incidents. Most of these were avoidable and in several cases people were out on the water when conditions were unsafe. Boaties need to ensure conditions are suitable before they hit the water, and if in doubt, don’t go out," Matt Wood says.

While the upper North Island will be impacted over the next couple of days, potentially there will be some good spots for boating in the lower North Island and upper half of the South Island, towards the end of the weekend. Ayone planning on getting on the water should check the maritime forecast. MetService has boating forecasts Marine Weather Forecasts and Conditions - MetService New Zealand.

For information on safer boating advice head to saferboating.org.nz.

3.3 Tip/Alert Boxes

Use for important callouts, warnings, or helpful tips that should stand out from body text.

Box Type

Content

☐ Info (blue)☐ Warning (yellow)☐ Alert (red)☐ Success (green)

 

☐ Info (blue)☐ Warning (yellow)☐ Alert (red)☐ Success (green)

 

3.4 Accordion Sections

Use for expandable content sections (e.g., FAQs, detailed breakdowns). Users click to expand.

Accordion Title

Expanded Content

   
   
   
   

5. Media Assets

5.1 Images

Provide image details for each image on the page. Alt text is required for accessibility.

Image File/Source

Placement

Alt Text *

Caption (optional)

 

☐ Hero☐ Inline☐ Gallery

Describe the image for screen readers. (125 chars max)

 
 

☐ Hero☐ Inline☐ Gallery

   
 

☐ Hero☐ Inline☐ Gallery

   

5.2 Videos

Video URL/Source

Title

Transcript Available?

   

☐ Yes    ☐ No    ☐ To be created

   

☐ Yes    ☐ No    ☐ To be created

6. Links & Documents

6.1 Related Documents (Downloads)

Downloadable files such as PDFs, forms, guides. These appear in the "Tools & Resources" section.

Document Title

File Type

File Name/Location

Description

 

☐ PDF☐ Word☐ Excel☐ Other

   
 

☐ PDF☐ Word☐ Excel☐ Other

   
 

☐ PDF☐ Word☐ Excel☐ Other

   

6.2 Related Pages (Internal Links)

Links to other Maritime NZ pages. These appear in the "Related links" section.

Link Text

Destination Page/URL

   
   
   
   

6.3 External Links

Links to websites outside Maritime NZ. Note: External links open in a new tab.

Link Text

External URL

Context/Purpose

Marine Weather Forecasts and Conditions - MetService New Zealand.

https://www.metservice.com/marine/

 

Safer Boating

https://saferboating.org.nz/

 
     

7. Calls to Action & Promotional Tiles

7.1 Primary Call to Action

Main action you want users to take. Appears as a prominent button or banner.

CTA Button Text

Keep short and action-oriented, e.g., "Apply now", "Download form", "Contact us" (25 chars max)

CTA Destination URL

 

CTA Style

☐ Primary button (blue)    ☐ Secondary button (outline)    ☐ Banner with background

7.2 Secondary Calls to Action

Button Text

Destination URL

Style

   

☐ Primary    ☐ Secondary

   

☐ Primary    ☐ Secondary

7.3 Promotional Tiles / Card Grid

Cards displaying related content with images and descriptions. Typically 2-6 cards in a grid.

Card Grid Settings

Grid Layout

☐ 2 columns    ☐ 3 columns    ☐ 4 columns

Card #

Card Title

Card Description

Card Image

Link URL

1

(50 chars max)

(100 chars max)

   

2

       

3

       

4

       

5

       

6

       

8. Governance & Workflow

8.1 Content Ownership

Content Owner *

Person or team responsible for keeping this content accurate and up to date.

Content Author

Person who wrote/prepared this content.

Subject Matter Expert

SME who can verify accuracy of content.

8.2 Review Schedule

Content Created Date

 

Target Publish Date

31 March 2025

Review Frequency

☐ Quarterly    ☐ 6-monthly    ☐ Annually    ☐ As needed    ☐ Event-triggered

Next Review Date

 

Expiry Date

Leave blank if content has no expiry. Use for time-sensitive content only.

8.3 Approval Workflow

Current Status *

☐ Draft    ☐ In Review    ☐ Revisions Required    ☐ Approved    ☐ Published    ☐ Archived

Version

Date

Reviewer

Status

Comments/Changes

0.1

     

Initial draft

0.2

       

0.3

       

1.0

     

Approved for publish

8.4 Reviewer Comments

Use this space for reviewer feedback, questions, and revision requests.

8.5 Final Approval Sign-off

Approved by

 

Approval Date

 

Signature

 

9. Additional Notes

Any additional context, dependencies, or notes for the web team.

Maritime NZ Web Content Template | Version 1.0 | January 2026Character Limit Quick Reference:• Meta Title: 50-60 characters• Meta Description: 150-160 characters• Page Title (H1): 60 characters recommended• CTA Button Text: 25 characters max• Card Title: 50 characters max• Card Description: 100 characters max• Image Alt Text: 125 characters max