A destructive tornado has torn off a roof and left a trail of debris in Greymouth this morning and the Auckland Harbour Bridge has been impacted by lane closures due to high winds.
Footage on social media shows the twister sweeping through the West Coast township just after 8.30am, damaging property and sending debris swirling into the air.
At least one home has lost its roof. A sleepout has been lifted off its foundations. The violent wind lasts less than a minute.
It comes as much of central and western New Zealand lies under a swathe of weather alerts, with thunderstorms building in the Tasman Sea.
At 4.55pm, Waka Kotahi NZTA posted that the Harbour Bridge was down to two lanes in each direction due to high winds.
At 5.10pm, lanes were reopened.
UPDATE - 5:10PM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) March 4, 2024
Lane configuration has changed to 4x4 layout and will remain in place during the afternoon peak period. Caution is advised, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists. Please drive with care and expect delays, especially for northbound traffic. ^HJ https://t.co/k8U1Wc8XEc
“Due to severe wind gusts lanes Harbour Bridge lanes have been reduced to two in each direction temporarily,” NZTA said.
“High-sided vehicles and motorcyclists should consider delaying their journey. Lanes will reopen, subject to gusts becoming less severe.”
Speed restrictions may also be in place during the evening commute.
“It is likely that speed limits may be reduced and some lanes on the bridge may close if wind gusts reach threshold levels,” Waka Kotahi NZTA said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Western and Eastern Line services are experiencing delays and cancellations due to issues on the Auckland train network, Waka Kotahi NZTA said.
Severe thunderstorm watches are in place from Waikato to Marlborough until 6pm with MetService warning intense downpours during the electrical storms could see flash flooding, slips and hazardous driving conditions.
Weatherwatch.co.nz says a few thunderstorms are currently building around New Zealand’s western and northern coastline this morning.
Police issued a warning to motorists to avoid Wellington’s Remutaka Hill due to deteriorating weather conditions and an earlier crash.
Due to multiple issues on the train network, Western and Eastern Line services are experiencing delays and cancellations.
— Auckland Transport Travel Alerts (@AT_TravelAlerts) March 4, 2024
Scheduled buses will accept train tickets and AT HOP cards from all train stations.
Check Live Train Line Status or Live Departures before you travel. pic.twitter.com/xxCFQgZvVE
Waka Kotahi NZTA said SH2 Remutaka Hill was closed between Kaitoke and Featherston due to strong winds. It has now reopened.
Peak gusts of 136km/h have been recorded at the summit today.
Earlier, one lane was closed on the south side near the summit after a truck trailer tipped just after 10am.
A spokesperson said high winds were making it increasingly difficult to travel over the hill.
A strong wind watch is in place for the bottom of the North Island with winds reaching severe gales in exposed places and many central regions lie under a heavy rain watch.
Waves of up to 4m are expected to batter the Wellington coast line overnight.
⚡️Other areas (apart from those under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch) could also see a thunderstorm today, especially those under a "Moderate risk"
— MetService (@MetService) March 3, 2024
⚠️Be aware that these thunderstorms could come through with:
☔️intense bursts of rain
💨strong, gusty winds pic.twitter.com/MAfhPmXEC1
MetService say it is “an unseasonably cold outbreak” and snow may fall to around 700 metres over the lower South Island tomorrow.
MetService meteorologist Juliana Bergdolt told the Herald the “quite intense” trough would be moving from the South Island to the North Island today, reaching Auckland tonight.
Heads up Wellington:
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) March 3, 2024
A bit either side of 12 noon will be the worst weather.
Looking at 18 different scenarios for...
💧Rain: most outcomes produce 20-30+ mm in a 6 hour period centred around midday (it'll rain hard!).
🌬️ Wind gust: strongest from late mid AM to early PM. pic.twitter.com/aufDoE1uil
Heavy rain watches are in place for the Westland ranges, the headwaters of Canterbury lakes and rivers from Arthur’s Pass southwards, central and western areas of the North Island and the ranges of Eastern Bay of Plenty and Tairāwhiti.
A strong wind warning is also in effect for the Canterbury High Country, with gusts expected to reach 120km/h in exposed places.
MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said more warning areas could be added farther north, and existing watches could be upgraded as they gather more information.
UPDATE 2:05PM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) March 4, 2024
SH2 Remutaka Hill remains CLOSED between Kaitoke and Featherston, due to strong winds. Please continue avoiding this area and consider delaying your journey. ^AP https://t.co/lKghk0QAyJ
Wellington, Kāpiti and Wairarapa are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 6pm, with weather conditions likely to bring thunderstorms with rainfall rates up to 40mm/h.
MetService warned that rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys and may also lead to slips.
Driving conditions will also be hazardous, with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.
SH7 WAIPARA TO SPRINGS JCT – STRONG WINDS – 7:30AM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Canterbury & West Coast (@WakaKotahiCWC) March 3, 2024
A strong wind warning is now in place along SH7 between Waipara and Springs Jct. Please take extra care especially if you are in a lighter or high-sided vehicle or riding a motorcycle. ^CS pic.twitter.com/BPARjv7ycd
The forecaster said cold, strong southwesterly winds will follow the trough, spreading heavy showers and thunderstorms over southern and central Aotearoa.
“Hot temperatures occurred in eastern South Island areas over the weekend, so this cold southerly change will be felt keenly over the next couple of days. Alexandra had a high of 29C on Saturday, and by Tuesday they have a forecast high of 14C, and 4C overnight,” Wotherspoon said.
Large swells generated by strong southerlies are in store for the south and west coasts this afternoon, but will then die out on Tuesday afternoon as the weather system shifts away from Aotearoa.
Wotherspoon said an end to the wild weather is on the horizon as a ridge of high pressure is to settle over most of the country on Wednesday.
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