Emergency response authorities are on stand-by amid warnings of more extreme weather heading into Labour Day, with much of the country expected to be battered by a “significant storm”.
The storm is forecast to bring severe winds, heavy rain, snow and large swells, just days after severe weather caused chaos across the country and left thousands without power, causing a local state of emergency in Canterbury, Southland and Clutha.
Heavy rain watches have today been upgraded to orange warnings.
The warnings cover the central North Island hill country, Taranaki maunga, the Tararua Range, the Richmond and Bryant ranges, headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers near and north of Arthur’s Pass, the ranges of the Westland district north of Haast, and ranges of Grey and Buller as well as Tasman west of Motueka.
All will come into force throughout Monday.
The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) is urging people to “be extra vigilant” and delay their long-weekend travel plans if needed ahead of the extreme front.
Chief executive Dave Gawn said “it’s essential that people factor [the warnings] into their travel plans”.
“Plan your journeys, pack extra supplies in case you get stranded, and if it’s looking really hairy, consider delaying your travel if you can.”
Gawn said councils, Civil Defence, emergency services and government agencies across the country are working together to coordinate a response.
It includes the National Crisis Management Centre being called in to the Beehive to assist with response and recovery efforts.
An orange heavy snow warning is in place for the Canterbury High Country south of State Highway 73 from 2pm to 9pm Monday with locals told to prepare for 10 to 15cm of snow settling above 500m and possible power outages.
Severe wind is also expected, with Wellington, Wairarapa and the Tararua district told to brace for northwest gales up to 120km/h in exposed places.
The orange wind warning comes into force from 2pm to 11pm on Monday, but winds are expected to start strengthening from this afternoon.
Wellington City Council has urged residents to stay away from the forested areas of the Town Belt and other parks and reserves where there are tall trees.
The strong wind warning follows the tragic death of a walker hit by a falling branch on Mt Victoria earlier this week.
“We’re aware of damage to trees during this week’s storms – so there’s an increased risk that trees or branches may come down tomorrow."
The council said winds could damage trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures, while driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
“Begina House in the Botanic Garden will be closed tomorrow as a safety precaution.”
Snow is expected to fall on a number of key routes on Monday, including Arthur’s Pass, the Crown Range, Dunedin to Waitati Highway (SH1), Haast Pass, Lindis Pass, Milford Rd (SH94), and Milford Rd (SH94).
Those near the Kāpiti-Porirua Coast are being told to brace for extreme swells, with waves rising to up to 5.5m.
The weather is the result of an active low pressure system moving over the country from the Tasman Sea throughout Monday and Tuesday.
Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management said staff across the region are monitoring the situation and are ready to activate the Emergency Co-ordination Centre if required.
Emergency Management Southland said it is working with farmers and others in the rural sector to identify locations in need of generators for milking sheds and stock water.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand warned of a “high fire danger” this weekend, with even a small spark in windy weather capable of causing a fast-spreading fire.
The severe winds that helped fan flames in the Bay of Plenty and Canterbury this week have subsided, but a ban on fireworks and open-air fires is still in place in Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Wairarapa, Marlborough and Canterbury until 9am Monday, Fire and Emergency said.
At a standup on Sunday, Emergency Management Southland controller Lucy Hicks said wastewater treatments are back to normal, but most of them are running on generators.
She said the state of emergency in Southland and Clutha will likely remain in place into next week.
Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell called the event “unusual” due to high winds, which took out lots of trees and electricity.
He said it could take a week to fully restore the power network to full service after all the disruptions, and the key point was to bring generators into the region.
Mitchell said the emergency services were doing a fantastic job and were preparing for possible weather events in the next 24 hours.
Powernet CEO Paul Blues said five days was still a likely estimate when everyone would have power.
He said there could be lines over trees or lines on fields and stressed people should not cut down the trees and should instead contact Powernet.