Now it’s thunderstorms and a southerly as Wellington recovers from wild winds

Some flights this morning looped around Wellington and left without landing.

The temperature in Wellington has dropped rapidly and power cables are hanging over a road in Stokes Valley as heavy rain and thunderstorms roll across the capital.

At the city’s airport, the temperature dropped four degrees in 15 minutes as the stormy weather began to set in.

MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Wellington and Wairarapa until 9pm as a southerly push brings a burst of rain.

“Some areas have the potential for issues such as localised surface pooling of water, and possible minor disruptions to road travel.”

Aaaand the southerly change has arrived into Wellington⬇⬆

If you notice a sudden dip in temperatures (nearly 4°C in 15 minutes at the airport!) and a bite to the wind, blame it on that southerly💨 pic.twitter.com/uKMwmm25O3

— MetService (@MetService) October 16, 2023

Parts of the North Island could also see thunderstorms and lightning, with intense bursts of rain.

There is a moderate risk of thunderstorms in Wellington as well as small hailstorms.

🌦⚡️☔️It's an electrifying time ahead for parts of the North Island as thunderstorms are expected to pop up this afternoon and evening

Thunderstorms bring intense bursts of rain as they pass through. Today is definitely a good day to have the Rain Radar close by! pic.twitter.com/IjcpAZq75O

— MetService (@MetService) October 16, 2023

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokeswoman confirmed power cables were hanging over a road in Stokes Valley this afternoon due to the bad weather.

Gale-force winds forced flights back in Wellington, with exposed areas catching gusts faster than 120km/h.

A spokesperson for the airport said operations were now back to normal, but some flow-on delays could be expected. Travellers should check with their airlines for the latest information.

A strong-wind watch is in place for Wellington and conditions will remain blustery until at least the afternoon.

Multiple flights due to land in the capital this morning were diverted or cancelled, with Flight Radar showing some planes looping around the city and heading away again.

“Wild weather is causing issues for a few flights with high winds,” a Wellington Airport spokesman said this morning.

Later in the morning, the airport’s arrivals page showed three flights diverted, and seven cancelled.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said there had been “very strong winds” across the region this morning.

“We’ve currently got a frontal system that is making its way across the country, and that is bringing some strong winds. Some of those wind speeds that we have seen in the more exposed areas are upwards of about 100 to 120km/h.”

Once the winds turned southerly, “we should see a little bit of an easing in those winds”, she said.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.