WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — On Thursday, severe weather warnings affected large parts of New Zealand, with heavy downpours leading to a state of emergency in Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island. Meanwhile, Wellington, the capital, experienced "destructive" winds that prompted the first-ever red wind warning, the highest alert level for the city, which is historically known for its gusty gales.
The extreme weather conditions, which included heavy snow and large waves impacting various regions, did not result in any reported fatalities or serious injuries. However, the full extent of the damages remained unclear by Thursday afternoon, and evacuations were not widespread. Residents in Wellington were warned to stay indoors, avoid travel, and keep away from doors and windows due to gusts reaching up to 150 kph (93 mph). The Metservice issued these warnings as falling trees and flying debris posed a potential "threat to life."
Flights to and from Wellington were cancelled throughout the day, and passenger ferry services between the North and South Islands were suspended until at least Friday afternoon. Forecasters anticipated swells of around 5 meters (16 feet) in the Cook Strait, the body of water separating New Zealand's two main islands. In the Wellington region, which has a population of around 550,000, approximately 1,000 properties were reported to be without electricity.
In light of the severe weather, Wellington's largest university closed for the day, the Royal New Zealand Ballet cancelled its evening performance, and several local schools dismissed students early. While Wellington is known for experiencing gale-force winds on nearly half of the days each year, Dan Neely, the city's emergency management chief, emphasized the importance of heeding the warnings, attributing the unusually strong southerly storm to life-threatening conditions.
In Christchurch and nearby rural areas, significant rainfall caused rivers to overflow their banks, resulting in road closures and raising concerns about potential flooding in homes. As a consequence, local states of emergency were declared, including one in Christchurch, as stated by Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell.
Additional orange-level warnings, the second most severe category, were issued across various regions of both the North and South Islands for heavy rain, large sea swells, and heavy snow in certain districts on the South Island. The storm system impacting much of the country was expected to ease by Friday.
New Zealanders are generally accustomed to extreme winter weather due to the country's diverse geography, which creates highly variable climatic conditions. However, the issuance of such widespread warnings for severe weather events was deemed unusual. The unique geographical features of New Zealand allow for these significant weather changes, which can occasionally lead to severe storms and other weather-related issues across the nation.
