The Crown Range Rd was closed, along with the Milford Rd - where there was a risk of an avalanche near the Homer Tunnel.
MetService-issued strong wind, heavy swell and heavy snow watches and road snowfall warnings are in place across the country and authorities have warned people to tie down loose outdoor items and take care.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the Auckland Harbour Bridge will have four lanes operating in each direction during this evening’s commute, warning motorists to drive cautiously, especially those in high-sided vehicles and on motorcycles.
Earlier, the transport agency said the bridge could fully close anytime between midday and 6pm, when a strong wind watch over Auckland was set to lapse.
Mayor Wayne Brown advised people to follow forecasts and drive to the conditions: “Take care out there over the next few days.”
Huge 6-metre waves are expected to pummel the coast from Wairarapa’s Cape Palliser to Mataikona this evening before easing below MetService’s warning criteria by midday Thursday.
MetService has already recorded thousands of lightning strikes around the country with some 1866 strikes in the North Island and 2506 in the South and snow flurries have been recorded in central Dunedin.
Snowfall at Queenstown Airport delayed flights, with crew out shovelling snow.
MetService said snow has fallen as low as 200m above sea level in some parts of the South Island.
Hundreds of homes around the North Island, meanwhile, were left without power with electricity provider Powerco showing properties in the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatū and Wellington in the dark.
In the city of sails, meanwhile, a Ports of Auckland radio tower came down on Devonport’s Mt Victoria likely due to the wind, a port spokesperson said.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
