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thousands of people walked without stopping Power and more than 100 flights canceled as new zealand Battling one of its worst spring storms in recent years.
Authorities issued a rare “red warning” as wind speeds reached 155 km per hour. A red alert – the country’s highest alert level – is issued only during the most extreme weather events.
The national weather service, MetService, described it as devastating. winds Much of the South Island and lower North Island were flooded, with Canterbury bearing the brunt.
The government declared a state of emergency in Canterbury late on Wednesday, warning that conditions in exposed areas were “life-threatening”.
Electricity company Orion NZ said about 90,000 homes had lost power, although its crews were slowly restoring service. On Thursday, more than 1,000 properties on the Orion network were still without power.
“We are expecting that there will be a small number of properties that we will not be able to restore by tomorrow,” the company said.
“If your power has not been restored by 7pm today, please be prepared to be without power overnight.”
Photos and videos broadcast by local media showed roofs uprooted from homes, power poles downed and roads blocked by fallen trees.
Flights in and out of Wellington and Christchurch were halted for most of Thursday, with Air New Zealand canceling about 100 flights.
The airline said it would operate “only when it is safe to do so”.
Wellington Airport said limited operations had resumed by the evening as winds had subsided.
Train services were suspended and several highways were closed, and the National Transport Agency urged drivers to stay off the roads. Storm Schools and libraries were also forced to close.
The storm comes after a week of extreme weather in the Tasman Sea Australia, which is struggling with record temperatures in October and early season bushfires.
A man died in Wellington earlier this week when a tree branch fell on him, local police said. In another incident captured on video, a woman fell into traffic due to strong gusts but survived.
The Met Service said winds gusted up to 150km/h in the Canterbury High Country and around Christchurch. Winds can reach up to 140 km/h in exposed parts of Wellington and the Wairarapa.
Fire and Emergency NZ said crews were responding to dozens of incidents, including vegetation fires in Kaikoura, Hammer Springs and Hawke’s Bay. Access to some of these locations was difficult as fallen trees blocked access roads.
Officials urged people to stay indoors, secure loose items and avoid non-essential travel until the storm passes.
The weather is expected to improve by Friday morning. Marlborough emergency management controller Richard McNamara said the weather had been faring well in the region, despite some impacts nearby.
“The immediate danger appears to have passed but people should still remain vigilant, especially around downed power lines and potential road damage,” he said. NZ Herald,