Air New Zealand flights diverted after severe winds batter South Island

The flight path of NZ699 from Auckland to Invercargill today. Photo / Flightradar24

Blustery conditions are battering flights across the South Island this afternoon, forcing one flight to end up back where it started.

Flightradar24 showed flight NZ699 from Auckland to Invercargill making the trip back over the Cook Strait to the North Island after multiple failed landing attempts.

The diverted flight showed the pilot had looped around to attempt a second landing before heading back to Auckland.

Air New Zealand chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said strong winds across the bottom of the South Island have impacted some services into and out of Invercargill and Dunedin today.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely; however, these conditions are expected to continue into the evening,” McGraw said.

Customers who have had their travel plans impacted by today’s weather events are being re-accommodated on the next available services.

“We thank them for their patience as our teams work to get them safely to their destinations,” he said.

A front preceded by strong northwesterlies moved on to the South Island from the Tasman Sea this afternoon, MetService said.

A strong wind watch is in place for the Canterbury High Country until 6am tomorrow.

Otago, Fiordland, Stewart Island and Southland remain under the same strong wind watch until this evening.

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.