A day after new research into major "megathrust" earthquakes was revealed, a seismologist has been appointed as the first Professor of Earthquake Science at the University of Otago.

Scientists have uncovered evidence that two major earthquakes of the same type hit central New Zealand in the past 1000 years.

Four years on from the Fukushima nuclear disaster - brought about by a devastating earthquake and tsunami - Tomioka remains a desolate place.

Wellington's wild weather has claimed the life of an elderly man, whose car became submerged as raging floodwaters rose across the area.

A New Zealander who had been unaccounted for since the first earthquake in Nepal has been identified as safe and sound in Kathmandu.

Emergency services in Tauranga responded to multiple calls about a tornado. The New Zealand Herald understands up to 15 roofs have been damaged or lifted off after the area at Mount Maunganui was hit at 8.45pm. Firefighters responded to numerous calls about roofs being ripped of houses around Lodge Ave and Links Ave.

Insurers may face higher costs over the Canterbury earthquake after several firms recently increased estimates for the final bill, according to the Reserve Bank.

Survivors of the avalanche at Everest Base Camp have described how an NZ-based doctor helped save the lives of 25 people, despite being wounded herself.

A catastrophic volcanic eruption in Auckland's industrial heart could have an economic impact of up to $10 billion in the first year.

Three New Zealanders thought to have been missing in Nepal have contacted their families to let them know they're safe, as three remain unaccounted for.

Kiwi backpacker Doran Graham spent more than three hours smashing through concrete and moving debris to help rescue a man trapped under rubble in Nepal.

The full scale of the devastation in Nepal is only just beginning to come to light leaving the country facing a host of challenges.

Acting Prime Minister Bill English told Parliament that New Zealand stood with the international community in readiness to help.

The number of New Zealanders unaccounted for in Nepal is down to single figures, Foreign Minister Murray McCully says.

Hundreds of climbers remained trapped on Everest yesterday as rescue teams raced to mount an evacuation before supplies run out.

The first smoke of the funeral pyres was wafting over what remained of Nepal's magnificent Hindu temples.

Three days after the deadly earthquake that claimed more than 3700 lives, several New Zealand families continue to wait for news of their loved ones.

A leading charity has warned it could be years before Nepal fully recovers from the deadly earthquake that ripped through the country on Saturday.

When Nichola Ireland saw TV news reports of the devastation in Nepal, she feared the worst.

The Government is promising at least $1 million in aid to help Nepal following the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked the mountainous country.

The big earthquake that rocked Nepal was another violent by-product of an ancient, geological scrum between two giant land masses.

A World Vision staffer has told about the scenes in Nepal following the devastating earthquake.

Further New Zealand aid has arrived in Vanuatu to help in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam.

A week on from Cyclone Pam some sense of normality has returned - at least in the capital, Port Vila.

The deputy chairman of Vanuatu's natural disaster committee has launched a stinging attack on NGOs in the cyclone-struck nation.