Overview
- Authorities placed the entire Manawatū‑Whanganui region under a state of emergency, with Waipā and Ōtorohanga still in effect after earlier Waikato flooding.
- MetService recorded 240km/h gusts at Cape Turnagain and up to 190km/h on Wellington’s higher terrain, with about 130km/h in the city and dangerous south‑coast surf.
- Lower Hutt streets flooded as falling trees and debris cut power and blocked roads, closing multiple schools and triggering evacuations in parts of Wairarapa and the Hutt Valley.
- Powerco reported about 23,000 customers without electricity across its network, including roughly 10,000 in the Wellington region, as crews worked to assess and repair damage.
- Wellington’s metro trains are suspended for morning safety inspections, flights and some ferries are canceled, and Waipā’s damaged Te Tahi water plant has residents conserving water.