“It’s been pretty quiet so far, considering how bad the weather has been in Christchurch, we will see what daylight brings.”
Power company Orion reported around 910 homes lost power overnight, but it has been restored for many.
‘Don’t blow away’ - NZTA’s warning to Auckland commuters
In a warning issued last night headed “Don’t get blown away”, NZ Transport Agency said winds approaching 90km/h were forecast to strike the Auckland Harbour Bridge between 4am and 9am today, triggering an amber alert.
Gusts of 90-95km/h were possible between 9am and midday, potentially triggering a red alert.
Strong amber alert winds of 75-85km/h were then likely until 7pm, which will affect the evening commute.
The bridge would remain in a four lane each way configuration during peak traffic today, NZTA said. However, speed limits and lane reductions could be brought in under an amber alert.
“Under a red alert, we may close all lanes on the bridge.”
A full closure would occur if wind gusts reached 90km/h, “because it’s unsafe for any vehicle to be on the bridge and the bridge structure is vulnerable to vehicle impacts”.
Cook Strait ferries cancelled as 7m waves smash coast
Wellington and Wairarapa residents could experience 130km/h winds today.
Cook Strait ferries have been cancelled until Saturday because of 10m swells caused by the severe winds.
A planned workers’ union rally for May Day in Wellington has also been cancelled because of the weather.
A strong wind warning will begin for coastal areas of Wairarapa at 9am Thursday and last 15 hours. In Wellington, the watch began at 3am and will last for 21 hours.
Gusts of up to 130km/h are expected for both regions, with damage to trees, powerlines and unsecured structures possible.
The severe winds could disrupt flights.
It would be the strongest wind in more than a decade since 140km/h gusts were recorded in 2013. The last time gusts hit 110km/h was in 2022.
MetService has also issued heavy swell warnings across the bottom of the North Island with waves of up to 7m predicted to strike some coastal areas.
In the South Island, a heavy rain warning is in place for Canterbury until late Thursday evening, while a warning is in place for the Kaikōura Coast until 6am Friday.
The strong wind watch for coastal Marlborough, including the Kaikōura Coast, will expire late this evening.
MetService said Canterbury residents could expect 120-160mm of rain in the foothills and peak rates of 10-20mm/h.
On the Kaikōura coast, 180-230mm of rain is forecast and 130km/h gusts could be felt in exposed places.
Flooding closed roads in Christchurch last night as heavy rain began to pelt the area.
