Overview
- A man died after a falling branch struck him on Wellington’s Mount Victoria, and the council urged people to stay out of parks due to the risk from trees.
- Powerco reported more than 10,000 customers without electricity in Wairarapa as schools, businesses and bus services closed across the region.
- Transport links were hit, with flights paused at Wellington, cancellations in Christchurch, restricted harbour ferries, and multiple highway closures from flooding, slips and fallen trees.
- Fire and Emergency ordered evacuations in Kaikōura as wind-driven fires burned and issued prepare-to-evacuate alerts for Pōrangahau in Hawke’s Bay.
- MetService maintained orange warnings after gusts approached 150 km/h on Remutaka Hill and rain topped 140 mm at Arthurs Pass, with forecasters cautioning of greater impacts later this week.