Passengers on a Jetstar flight were forced to evacuate after a staircase was blown into the aircraft’s wing at Auckland Airport.
An orange wind warning has been issued for Auckland and parts of Northland and the strongest winds are tipped to strike during this evening’s rush hour commute.
Passengers on a Jetstar flight had to evacuate after a staircase was blown into the aircraft’s wing at Auckland Airport.
Gusts of 135km/h were recorded this afternoon at Manukau Heads.
Earlier today, power was out to about 22,000 properties across Coromandel Peninsula as the top of the country braces for severe 100km/h wind gusts and possible hail.
Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds called the weather “brutal” after the dumping of snow in her region and said several primary schools and highways had closed.
Earlier, a section of Lindis Pass (SH8) and SH93 from Matarua to Clinton closed because of icy conditions, but has since reopened.
Further north, SH8 Fairlie to Tekapo is closed.
Around 2cm of snow has fallen in Gore this morning. Photo / Gore District Council
In Wānaka, residents reported snow falling on the lakefront at midday.
Meanwhile, Aucklanders are being urged to brace for power outages and to take care driving as heavy rain, strong gales and possible hail are due at rush hour.
A strong wind watch is in place for Northland from Whangārei, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula from 4pm. MetService is warning wind may approach “severe gales” in some places. Niwa is warning gusts of more than 100km/h could roar through the north this afternoon.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is asking motorists using the Auckland Harbour Bridge to take extra care, with strong gusts expected until 9pm.
There are also warnings of thunderstorms and small hail.
SH1 AKL HBR BRIDGE - 6:30AM Due to strong wind gusts extra care is currently required on the Harbour Bridge, especially for high-sided vehicles & motorcycles. Please obey speed signs and maintain a safe following distance. ^HJ pic.twitter.com/Vjtd5BDgRY
— NZ Transport Agency - Auckland & Northland (@nztaaklnth) September 16, 2024
Vector is also warning strong winds could bring power outages, with areas likely most affected by gusty winds set to include the west coast, Warkworth and Wellsford.
There is also a moderate risk of thunderstorms in Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, Gisborne, Taupō and Hawke’s Bay. These storms may continue along the coast of Gisborne and the Mahia Peninsula into the evening, potentially bringing heavy rain (10 to 15mm/h) and small hail.
MetService has issued multiple road snowfall watches and warnings around New Zealand, including the Napier-Taupō Rd (SH5) and the Desert Rd (SH1), where up to 10cm could fall in areas above 700m.
There is also a road snowfall warning for the Remutaka Hill Rd (SH2), where rain could turn to snow above 400m.
In the South Island, road snowfall warnings have been issued for Lewis Pass (SH7), Porters Pass, Arthurs Pass (SH73), the Crown Range and Milford Rds (SH94).
There is also a heavy snow watch over Taihape, where snow is expected to around 600m.
Snow in Auckland? Nah.
Snow from Rakiura/Stewart Island to Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and everywhere in between? Yeah! ❄️
Check out the widespread nature of forecast snowfall (hukarere) over the next 36 hours! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5ppmGPvacF
Niwa forecaster Ben Noll said the wintry weather could be described as “the last hurrah” of a rare polar heatwave over Antarctica that had been strengthening low-pressure systems south of New Zealand.
But sunnier days were on the cards for the weeks ahead.
“The good news is that high pressure will become much more abundant in the New Zealand region starting next week,” Noll said.
Niwa has given 50-50 odds of a La Nina climate pattern forming by the end of spring – along with an earlier-than-usual shift to summer-like weather later in the season.
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