Post by Bishopdale Weather on Jun 21, 2013 9:13:02 GMT 12
Around 28,000 Wellington homes and businesses remain without power on Friday morning, as a savage storm assails the capital.
The massive winter tempest blasting its way up the country hammered the city on Thursday night, with winds gusting up to 140km/h.
It brought down trees, lifted roofs, smashed windows, closed roads and cut power to about 30,000 homes and businesses.
Gusts on Mt Kaukau, above the city, hit 200km/h.
The Interislander ferry Kaitaki broke its moorings overnight and had to anchor in Wellington Harbour as Cook Strait ferries were cancelled after waves up to 15m were recorded.
Air New Zealand has cancelled flights in and out of Wellington Airport, and will look at things again at 10am.
Wellington Electricity said 28,000 homes and businesses around the region were still without power on Friday morning.
It was getting as many crews out to fix damage as possible, but continuing high winds and heavy rain meant they had to be cautious and there could be delays in getting power back on.
Commuters are being warned to expect delays with some buses and trains cancelled and many roads, especially those close to the coast, closed.
A number of schools and kindergartens are closed for the shortest day of the year.
Emergency services and civil defence stalwarts have described the winds as probably the worst to hit the area since the Wahine storm in 1968, says Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.
Roads on the southern coast, as well as Island Bay's seawall, were damaged by the weather, and she urged people not to put their rubbish out because it would get blown everywhere.
Wellington could expect winds up to 130km/h on Friday morning, said MetService duty forecaster Heath Gullery.
"It's set to continue throughout the morning then gradually ease this afternoon," he told NZ Newswire.
Severe gales are expected in the Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa, Whanganui and Taranaki. However, severe gales expected for Auckland, Northland and Coromandel "were on their last legs".
"It's obviously a very significant storm, it's at the top end of storms for New Zealand."
It follows massive amounts of snow being dumped across the South Island, closing a number of major roads and cutting power, but the island has seen the worst of it.
Black ice is now another danger for motorists.
Snow had also closed the Desert Road in the North Island, as well the alternative roads to the south and west of Tongariro National Park.
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