Wellington was hit by a severe thunderstorm this afternoon as torrents of rain, large hail and surface flooding disrupted flights and caused widespread damage.
Several people have required medical attention including two that needed to be hospitalised and a report by Hutt South MP Chris Bishop that two children have been injured.
More than 2000 properties are without power in the Wellington region, lines companies Electra and Wellington Electricity announced.
Police confirmed multiple roads are blocked in Hutt Central by downed trees, and there has been extensive damage to cars and homes across the region.
Wellington Free Ambulance said its staff responded to a number of weather-related incidents in the Lower Hutt region this afternoon.
The majority of patients were treated on scene and there was no requirement for transport by Wellington Free Ambulance for further treatment.
Two patients were transported to Hutt Hospital by Wellington Free Ambulance, one in a serious condition and one in a moderate condition.
Hutt South MP and senior Government minister Chris Bishop said on social media: “Really concerned to hear about the tornado in the Hutt today, and particularly worried about the two kids who have been injured - I hope they recover quickly. It sounds like there’s going to be a big cleanup job. One of the best things about the Hutt is seeing people step up to help each other, and I know today’s storm will be another great example of that.”
Bishop also posted on social media this evening announcing the roof of his electorate office had been blown off in the storms. The damage to his offices on Bloomfield Terrace, Hutt Central, occurred around 3pm today.
“There was a roof here this morning. #huttnado,” Bishop posed on Twitter shortly after 8pm.
All flights through Wellington Airport were stopped while two international flights were diverted to Christchurch and Auckland. The airport said travellers should check with their airlines for flight statuses. Flights resumed shortly after 4pm.
Flooding has forced supermarkets to close in Karori and hail and wind has reportedly damaged buildings and downed trees in Lower Hutt.
The Herald has seen buildings completely collapsed by winds, and shattered storefronts.
Trees have fallen and blocked roads, along with smashed glass and debris from lifted roofs and cars, police said.
“The intersections of Waterloo Rd, Cornwall St, Pretoria St, High St, Queens Drive and Kings Crescent are being closed,” a police spokesman said.
MetService said windspeeds reached 128km/h in places, and following reports of a tornado in Lower Hutt, told the Herald “it was not out of the question, tornadic activity is certainly possible”. A severe thunderstorm warning was lifted just before 7pm today.
Reporters based in the capital said the clear, sunny day quickly turned to darkness about 3pm as the storm rolled in.
One said her street had turned into “a river”, describing the sudden downpours as “insane”.
Hailstones measured up to 12mm, MetService said, with photographs supplied to the Herald showing streets and yards blanketed.
📣 Weather update: All flights in and out of Wellington Airport have paused. Two Qantas flights from Brisbane and Sydney have diverted to Auckland and Christchurch respectively, while other flights continue to hold. Passengers should check with their airlines for information.
— Wellington Airport (@WLGAirport) December 12, 2023
SH1 NEWLANDS - FLOODING - 3:30PM, TUE 12 DEC
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) December 12, 2023
Due to flooding, the northbound Newlands off-ramp and the southbound Newlands on-ramp is BLOCKED. Use off and on-ramps at Johnsonville or delay travel. ^CS pic.twitter.com/Xooi6RpX1U
Thunder and hail here at the MetService HQ in Wellington.
— MetService (@MetService) December 12, 2023
Hail sizes reported around 10-12mm by our team.
How's it looking at your place? pic.twitter.com/VWhzQvqdZr
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand staff member said they were getting “a few calls” about the sudden wild weather.
Rush hour transport is delayed in the capital.
Metlink said buses are delayed while train passengers can also expect delays.
“Please be careful as platforms and train floors may be slippery,” Metlink said.
Lower Hutt residents are describing the situation as chaotic with trees down across roads and scores of shop windows smashed.
Many reported a tornado ripping through buildings. MetService meteorologist John Law told the Herald a tornado was “certainly not out of the question, but hard to confirm”.
Law said winds had “packed quite a punch” with windspeeds at Wellington Airport hitting 98km/h, in Lower Hutt it reached 96km/h and on Mt Kaukau gusts reached 128km/h.
“My car was lifting and my boy was screaming, it was just like your typical Hollywood blockbuster,” says one Lower Hutt man during the tornado.
A worker at Queensgate in Lower Hutt said several police, fire and ambulance vehicles have responded to the shopping centre.
“I can’t see into the centre but a lot of that has been based around the exit point for Countdown, which is based in the mall,” they said.
We are aware that the storm watch is in place until 9pm tonight. Here's some advice from The National Emergency Management Agency.
— Hutt City Council (@HuttCityCouncil) December 12, 2023
As storms approach you should:
- Take shelter, preferably indoors away from windows;
- Avoid sheltering under trees, if outside;
The worker said heavy gales blew glass out of windows of some stores.
“We’ve had quite a few trees down around Queensgate. Lots of windows have been broken and it was quite flooded for a bit, but a lot of that’s receded now,” they said.
They said seeing the weather escalate way “quite freaky” after conditions didn’t look that threatening this morning.
“All of a sudden it just hit. There were quite a few people who were very afraid because it was very noisy but we were all safe inside,” they said.
A Queensgate Shopping Centre spokesperson said the Forsyth Barr Tower adjacent to Queensgate Shopping Centre sustained exterior damage, which does not pose a safety risk to any of the Centre’s customers, retailers or staff.
“The safety of all our visitors remains our number one priority, and Queensgate Shopping Centre remains open and operating at normal business hours.”
Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry said a “tornado” has caused a significant amount of damage, particularly to buildings with roofs lifted and debris scattered around the city.
“We are working with Fenz and police in the immediate response which will continue over the next few hours,” Barry said.
On power outages in the region, Barry said that is expected to be restored in the next two to three hours.
“We are keeping an eye on things until around 9pm and encourage people to stay indoors if you possibly can.
“There will be a lot of traffic around the city because of the disruption so avoid that travel if you can,” Barry said.
He said local updates would be posted on the Hutt City Council Facebook page.
“We are on top of things. We’ll just continue to work alongside Fenz to get more information and clarity around exactly the damage that’s out there and what we need to do to respond to that,” Barry said.
Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail and strong winds are heading up the east coast of the North Island.
MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū, Tararua, Kāpiti-Horowhenua, Wairarapa, Wellington, Marlborough, Christchurch and Canterbury Plains until 6pm.
The brutal storm hit Canterbury earlier this morning, flooding houses, delaying flights and cutting power to several properties.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said heavy rain had flooded houses in the suburbs of Belfast and Middleton, RNZ reported.
Power company Orion confirmed four properties in Halswell/Tai Tapu lost power after a lightning strike, while properties in the Christchurch suburbs of Dallington and Harewood, and the town of Waddington, also lost power.
MetService is forecasting the storm will make its way up the east of the North Island this afternoon.
A spokesperson said: “Showers are forecast in Wellington after 2pm with the risk of thunderstorms.”
NZTA/Waka Kotahi is urging drivers in Wellington, Wairarapa, Tararua and Marlborough to keep an eye on the weather and road conditions.
“The forecast warns of hail, intense rainfall, damaging winds and the potential for hazardous driving conditions and poor visibility.
“Road users should watch their speed and following distances, avoid sudden braking on wet roads and turn their headlights on if visibility is poor.”
MetService is warning the thunderstorms are “expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain, large hail and damaging wind gusts”.
“Very heavy rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding in streams, gullies and urban areas, making driving conditions extremely hazardous,” a spokesperson said.
“Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, making driving conditions hazardous.
“Very strong wind gusts can break branches from trees, damage roofing and create hazardous driving conditions, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.”
The National Emergency Management Agency is advising residents on the East Coast to take shelter indoors, preferably away from windows, avoid sheltering under trees if outside, get back to land if outdoors on the water, move cars under cover or away from trees, secure any loose objects around property, check that drains and gutters are clear and be ready to slow down or stop if driving.
Canterbury residents took to social media to share images of the hailstorm that hit the region just after 9am.
One resident said: “[It] was mental in Methven. [I] could hear the hail coming before it got to my house.”
Another said: “Just had hail the size of large marbles at Glentunnel! The storm lasted so long!”
Fenz crews responded to a hedge fire in the Christchurch suburb of Yaldhurst at 10.18am.
A spokesperson told the Herald: “There was a possibility it was due to a lightning strike but we are unable to confirm at this stage.”
Christchurch Airport confirmed this morning that it had “lightning strikes across the campus, which has impacted airfield lighting and navigation systems”.
“Some flights have diverted to other centres and some are delayed.”
By midday, the lighting had rolled north of the airport and it was operating as usual.
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