Wellington, New Zealand: Severe winds and heavy rain disrupted transport and infrastructure across New Zealand's lower North Island on Friday, with authorities urging residents to stay home as a deep low-pressure system moves over the country.
The Wellington Airport in New Zealand's capital has canceled most flights on the day, with about 200 services expected to be grounded because of strong winds. Conditions are forecast to ease on Saturday, allowing flights to resume.
The MetService has extended orange strong wind warnings for Wellington, Taranaki and parts of Marlborough, forecasting gusts of up to 130 km/h in exposed areas.
A peak gust of 153 km/h was recorded at Wellington's Mount Kaukau. Severe weather is expected to persist into Friday night before gradually easing, according to the MetService.
Emergency services said they had responded to dozens of incidents, including fallen trees, damaged roofs and debris. One man was seriously injured after a tree struck his vehicle in New Plymouth.
Power outages have affected roughly 4,000 customers in the Wellington region, with authorities warning restoration could take several days due to unsafe working conditions, Radio New Zealand reported.
Flooding, slips and road closures have been reported, particularly in Lower Hutt of northeast Wellington. Motorists have been advised to avoid non-essential travel.
