22 Mar 2010

Strong winds sweep through central New Zealand

8:19 pm on 22 March 2010

Strong winds hit the lower North Island and the top of the South Island on Monday afternoon, with north-west gales gusting up to 130 km/h.

By early evening, eight Wellington Airport flight departures and six arrivals had been cancelled but Interislander ferries were running to timetable.

Minimal damage has been reported in the Marlborough and Wellington regions, with loose roofs and falling phone lines, street signs and tree branches the only reports.

MetService duty forecaster Peter Smith said the front would continue to bring rain and gale winds to Wellington till the middle of the evening, and reach western parts of the North Island on Tuesday.

Metservice has issued a severe weather warning for the Tararua ranges and Mt Taranaki and is urging people to be wary of rapidly rising rivers. Eighty millimetres of rain were forecast to fall overnight.