Winter makes early and violent visit

7.55am - By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

UPDATE - The wild weather over the weekend is set to continue, with gales forecast to hit parts of the North Island today.

"We are having June weather in February," MetService ambassador Bob McDavitt said after a weekend of heavy rain, high winds, plummeting temperatures, thunderstorms and hail.

A storm from Antarctica has mixed with a tropical storm from Fiji, causing the weather to yo-yo violently.

MetService forecasters say heavy rain and severe gales will continue to lash parts of Wellington, coastal Wairarapa, Wanganui and southern Taranaki this morning.

Exposed places can expect gusts of 130km/h and as much as 150mm of rain by noon.

In the Manawatu towns of Marton and Feilding a state of civil emergency was declared as flooding forced up to 200 residents to evacuate. The army and air force are assisting with the evacuations.

Residents of the Hutt Valley are being asked not to travel into Wellington this morning. Parts of Eastbourne have been evacuated due to slips and the Rimutaka Hill Rd is closed.

Cook Strait ferries have been cancelled, affecting about a dozen crossings.

High winds in Auckland overnight knocked down trees and sent rubbish bins rolling off kerbs and into the streets.

Traffic on the Northwestern Motorway was diverted for an hour last night from 9 o'clock after a truck crashed into a tree that had blown across the road near Lincoln Rd.

The truck blocked the motorway completely and traffic was diverted through Te Atatu back on to the motorway at Royal Rd while the road was cleared.

Firefighters were called to Takapuna to free an 18-year-old woman trapped under a tree that had gone through the roof of her house.

She was taken to North Shore Hospital with head injuries.

The rough weather forced the closure of Auckland Airport to domestic flights around 9.30 last night and three planes were diverted to Wellington.

The storm closed several highways and rail links across the North Island including State Highway 1 near Waiouru.

Earlier yesterday, giant waves turned a Cook Strait sailing into a nightmare for hundreds of seasick passengers.

The severe pitching and rolling of the Arahura caused a truck to topple on to a van and three cars sustained "significant" damage, said Interisland Line spokesman Peter Monk.

Passengers sailing on the ferry from Picton to Wellington who were brave enough to leave their seats had to struggle to stay upright.

One, Roger Foley, said conditions were wild and spectacular, with 5-10m swells and waves breaking over the bow.

Moana Hillman, from Bulls, said: "It was bloody rough ... There was spew everywhere."

Heavy rain and gales forced the cancellation of other ferries, including late-night freight runs, stranding hundreds of people.

The weather also tore off roofs, toppled trees and cut power.

A man was reported missing after a Saturday night fishing trip in Wellington harbour.

A boat with four people on board sent out a mayday call near Cape Jackson in the Marlborough Sounds about 8.30 last night after its engine failed in heavy seas.

Emergency services were reported to be unable to reach the Rita but it later stabilised and another boat was standing by to help if required.

Thousands of lightning bolts lit up Canterbury for Valentine's Day in a spectacular storm that lashed Christchurch with more than half the average monthly rainfall in 24 hours and gave an Ashburton farmer the fright of his life. Malcolm Chubb said he was struck on the head by a bolt as he was taking his cows for milking at a property south of Ashburton.

He was saved by the rubber tyres on his bike, but four of his cows were killed by the lightning strike.

A mini tornado ripped through the Lake Rotoiti Holiday Park near Rotorua's Okere Falls early on Saturday, uprooting trees and terrifying patrons.

Owner Anne Clark described the experience as "eerie". She said an "almighty roar" signalled the twister about 5am and its path of destruction probably took only seconds.

A 24m gum tree was plucked from a neighbouring property and dumped on the camp grounds. About 30 campers were at the park.

The camp ground was left covered in debris and power, telephone and water supplies were all cut.

The outlook

Northland: Cloudy and showery. Tomorrow, some heavy thundery showers.

Auckland: Showery at first. Tomorrow, thundery showers.

Waikato: Cloudy, showers tomorrow

Bay of Plenty: Showers then fine. Thundery showers tomorrow.

Wanganui and Taranaki: Severe gales overnight and high winds.

Wairarapa: Heavy rain, strong winds.

Wellington: Heavy rain, strong winds.

Gale warnings for: Wanganui, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa today.

For the latest forecasts, visit our Weather section

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