A state of emergency has been declared for Canterbury and Wellington is shutting down as parts of the country brace for "life-threatening" winds.
MetService is warning of possible threats to life as an extreme weather system packing winds of up to 150km/h bears down on central and southern parts of New Zealand on Thursday.
The forecaster is warning of damaging gales and significant heavy rain, and this morning issued a raft of severe weather alerts, including rare red strong wind warnings for parts of Canterbury, where winds of up to 150kmh are expected.
The red-level wind warning has been issued from 1am until 5pm on Thursday for the Canterbury high country; 10am-4pm for Christchurch and the Canterbury plains; and in the North Island, 8am-6pm for Wellington and Wairarapa, south of Carterton.
The warnings are kicking in first for the South Island from 1am Thursday in the Canterbury High Country, then Wellington and parts of Wairarapa from 8am. MetService has warned of a threat to life from flying items and falling trees.
All major council facilities in Wellington will be closed on Thursday and public transport services reduced, as authorities urge people to avoid travelling.
Parks and public facilities are being closed, commuter transport faces severe disruptions, and several big events are being affected by the ongoing risk of severe wind gusts.
A spokesperson for Wellington Airport says travellers should check regularly with their airlines, warning flights may be disrupted.
Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren said the airline was offering flexibility for those travelling to and from Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin.
An Interislander spokesperson said at this stage, the fleet is operating as normal tomorrow.
State of emergency
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell today declared a state of local emergency for the Canterbury region to assist in the response to the current severe weather.
The Minister signed the declaration at 3.24pm, as new mayors were yet to be sworn in.
"The state of local emergency will ensure local Civil Defence have access to the emergency powers they need to respond and support emergency services during this event," he said.
Wild weather has already claimed a life this week. A man was killed when he was hit by a falling branch in Mt Victoria in Wellington yesterday.
The Canterbury District Commander for police, Superintendent Tony Hill, urged people to avoid any non-essential travel.
"Consider if you really need to leave home. You may need to adjust any travel plans you have made. Roads and highways are already impacted, and some roads may be closed.
"If you must travel, drive to the conditions and take extra care. High winds could damage trees, powerlines and insecure roofs, and make driving hazardous for all drivers, and especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists."
A fire ban is in place from now until Sunday for Canterbury, and Hill warned against starting outdoor fires for any reason. Police will investigate any suspicious fires and may prosecute those responsible.
MetService today said an active front, associated with a "significant deep low" to the south, would move over the country, bringing "a threat to life" from flying items and falling trees.
"Destructive winds will cause widespread damage including powerlines and roofs, with dangerous driving conditions and significant disruption to transport and power supply."
It is urging people to stay indoors "or seek sturdy shelter away from trees. Avoid travel. Be ready for power and communication outages".
This is the fourth round of red warnings MetService has issued this year, and the 19th since the highest alert level was introduced back in May 2019.
A red warning was issued in collaboration with councils, emergency services, Civil Defence, and often resulted in a State of Emergency, MetService's head of weather, Heather Keats, said.
It warns of conditions that could cause massive disruption and damage, injury or death.
"The severe weather is likely to cause huge disruption and damage," Keats said.
'Be prepared'
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said tomorrow's winds were expected to be widespread "and could affect places that don’t often see strong winds".
Northwesterly wind speeds of 150kmh are possible for exposed parts of the Canterbury high country, and 130kmh for the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch.
“The public are advised to take the opportunity today to prepare for the significant and damaging winds on Thursday.
"Secure any loose items, make sure batteries are charged. Once it kicks off on Thursday, stay indoors or seek sturdy shelter away from trees. Avoid unnecessary travel. Be ready for power and communication outages,” Makgabutlane advised.
“A red warning signifies that people need to act now as immediate action is required to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services.”
Orange level strong wind warnings have also been issued for Otago, Southland and Stewart Island, and there are orange level heavy rain warnings for the headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers, the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers, Westland and Fiordland.
MetService said there was a possibility that some of the orange warnings would be upgraded to red, and urged people to keep up to date with forecasts.
Total fire ban
The forecast has prompted Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) to issue a total ban on outdoor fires and fireworks for Marlborough, Canterbury and South Canterbury from noon today.
In a statement, Fenz said the fire risk was extreme because of the ongoing high winds.
The ban covers the whole of Canterbury and South Canterbury, from the boundary with Marlborough (north of Kaikoura) to the Waitaki River, and will remain in place until 8am on Monday, October 27.
"We are asking every landowner, agricultural contractor, forestry manager and lifestyle block owner to help us avoid any more fires starting, or reigniting from previous burns," Fenz Commander Rob Hands said.
"Yesterday’s [Kaikōura] fires showed the devastating effects that wildfires have on communities, putting lives at risk and causing significant damage."
Otago fire officials are also asking people across the region to hold off lighting outside fires and letting off fireworks until Monday.
- Allied Media and RNZ
