Latest news with #WREMO
RNZ News
01-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Roads closed, wind warning remains, but worst of Wellington storm over
High winds have battered Wellington on Thursday, with MetService issuing a red strong wind warning that will remain overnight. Wellington has seen widespread power outages, cancelled flights and flooded roads . Schools and businesses closed early across the city, and people are being asked to stay off the roads, as wild weather continues. MetService said the wind would continue to blow hard into the evening, with gusts up to 120kph, but the worst was over. Wellington hadn't had a red warning, since the categories were introduced in 2019. MetService warned of a threat to life from flying items and falling trees, while the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office advised people to shelter in internal rooms, such as bathrooms. WREMO regional manager Dan Neely said, despite the fact Wellingtonians lived in a windy town, they shouldn't get complacent. "These events can catch people off guard, whether they're driving or they walking... so we just want people to be extra careful." Hutt City Council said severe weather had forced road closures and restrictions in Hutt City. Marine Drive currently has a one-lane 'stop-go' section in Mahina Bay to allow contractors to work on making the road safe. From about 6pm, the road between Howard Rd and Wellesley School would close in both directions - except for emergency vehicles - for two hours either side of high tide, due to expected unsafe conditions. Another high tide is due at 8.40am Friday and, if the road is unable to reopen tonight, it would then reopen about 10.30am. Port Road was re-opened at 3:30pm so people could go home. In line with Marine Drive, the road then closed at 6pm for high tide. Traffic management has been installed on Wainuiomata Hill Road for contractors to work on a slip. The two north-bound lanes for travel from Wainuiomata to Lower Hutt were closed. Traffic was down to one lane in each direction from the base of the Hill on each side. The lane closure will remain until the risk of further slips has been mitigated. Meanwhile, Wellington City Council has closed Moa Point Road, between the southern runway and Spruce Goose Café. Wellington's Island Bay bears the brunt of the southerlies. Photo: RNZ / Mary Argue All flights in and out of Wellington Airport on Thursday afternoon and evening were also cancelled, with the possible exception of QF163 from Sydney, scheduled to land at 11:55pm. Wellington Electricity said some outages were restored, but more had occurred, as trees and debris were blown onto powerlines. "As night approaches, we'll have to stand down some of our crews, due to safety constraints and fatigue management," a spokesperson said. "We have teams in place to take over, but due to the number of faults and adverse conditions, we may not be able to restore all power outages until tomorrow." On Thursday afternoon, 1500 customers were without power in Wellington. In the Lower Hutt suburb of Petone, fire crews and bystanders struggled to secure a roof in high winds. Genevieve Le Roux, who lives in the house, said when she first heard a noise, she thought it was at the neighbours'. "We came to look outside and we realised one of the roof panels was lifting," she said. "When they got up on the ladder, they realised the whole roof was lifting." Wellington Water contractors were pumping floodwater off Port Road in the nearby Lower Hutt suburb of Seaview. Damian Williams said they'd shifted thousands of litres of water off the road and out to sea. A resident in Eastbourne's Days Bay said he and his housemates had boarded up the sea-facing windows of their home two days before the storm struck. He said he had a sleepless night, because of the noise of the wind and sea, and he was concerned about logs and debris in the water impacting the building. Another resident said she wasn't sure if she would make it into work in the Hutt Valley in the morning. She said this morning's commute was difficult in the dark, with logs and debris obstructing the road around the bays, as well as road cones and lane adjustments from seawall work in the area. She had seen storms hit the Eastbourne Coast over the previous 10-15 years and felt this week's storm was not quite as bad, but had been complicated by the winds and sea shifting temporary fencing and construction markers lining the road.
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Scoop
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Scoop
Wellington Region Emergency Management Office - Latest News [Page 1]
Red Strong Wind Warning Issued For Parts Of The Wellington Region We know that Strong Wind Warnings are fairly common for our region and it's easy to get complacent, but Wellingtonians should take this one seriously and be prepared. More >> Wellington Region Conduct Emergency Exercise For Alpine Fault Earthquake Scenario Friday, 8 November 2024, 3:43 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office Staff from the nine local councils in the region activated their Emergency Operations Centres on the day to practice coordinating together. More >> Cook Strait Earthquake Public Information Update Sunday, 6 October 2024, 2:09 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office This is a timely reminder that earthquakes can happen anytime. The correct action to take in an earthquake: Drop, Cover and Hold. If you are in bed, Stay, Cover and Hold. More >> Innovative Post-Disaster Emergency Telecommunications Implemented At Naenae Community Emergency Hub Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:19 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office After a major disaster like an earthquake or storm, damaged infrastructure and power outages can make it hard for people to stay connected with loved ones and services. This can impact community well-being, as well as response and recovery efforts. More >> Less Than One Month To Go Until Wellington Steps Up For The Long Walk Home! Wednesday, 7 February 2024, 1:36 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office The countdown is on for the Long Walk Home, with less than one month to go until Wellingtonians put on their walking shoes and head from Wellington City to Porirua. The event organised by the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO), ... More >> Wellington Region Emergency Management's Giant Poo Raises Awareness Of Emergency Toilets Wednesday, 26 April 2023, 2:55 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office Wellington Region Emergency Management Office's new campaign encourages residents to plan what to do when they can't use their loo. The Wellington region is crossed by many active faults. A large earthquake on the Wellington Fault would ... More >> Severe Weather And Heavy Swells On The Way For The Wellington Region Wednesday, 20 July 2022, 5:31 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) is urging coastal residents in Wellington and the Wairarapa, as well as anyone planning to travel around the region, to be aware of the heavy swells and severe weather expected from tomorrow ... More >> WREMO Urges Coastal Residents In Porirua And Kāpiti To Prepare For Heavy Swells Thursday, 9 June 2022, 12:25 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) is urging coastal residents in Porirua and Kāpiti to prepare for the Heavy Swell Warning in place from midnight tonight until midnight Friday. WREMO Regional Manager Jeremy Holmes says the swell ... More >> WREMO Recommends Coastal Residents Get Prepared For Heavy Swells Wednesday, 25 May 2022, 2:33 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office A Heavy Swell warning for Wellington and the Wairarapa, issued by MetService, is expected to impact coastlines from 6pm tonight until 11pm, Thursday 26 May. The Wairarapa is likely to see a combined wave height of 5.5 to 6 metres overnight tonight, while ... More >> SWELL WARNING Wellington South Coast And Wairarapa Monday, 28 June 2021, 7:21 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office IMPACTS FORECASTED: Further modelling shows that the impacts from this event could be similar to the wave inundation that was experienced during the 2013 Matariki Storm. Detailed modelling suggests that tomorrow morning's high tide is likely to have ... More >> South Coast Communities Better Protected With New Swell Warning System Wednesday, 14 April 2021, 12:05 pm | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office Wellington South Coast residents can now sign up for new Swell Warnings from MetService, which will give locals a heads up when big waves are heading their way. MetService Manager Marine and Regional Weather Services, Michael Martens says they are delighted ... More >> Community Emergency Hubs in the Wellington Region Thursday, 30 May 2019, 9:31 am | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office Earlier this month, the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) launched a campaign to urge people in the Wellington Region to be more prepared for an emergency by finding their local Community Emergency Hub at . More >> Where is your nearest Community Emergency Hub? Tuesday, 14 May 2019, 10:16 am | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office Imagine that a large earthquake has struck the Wellington Region. You've made it home and checked on your family and neighbours. What do you do next? More >> Schools briefed on Molesworth Street building removal Wednesday, 23 November 2016, 10:06 am | Wellington Region Emergency Management Office Wellington earthquake update #24 –Tuesday 22 November, 8pm Schools briefed on Molesworth Street building removal Thorndon schools and pre-schools were briefed this afternoon by Wellington City Council on how the quake-damaged office block at 61 Molesworth ... More >>
NZ Herald
01-05-2025
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Weather: What Wellingtonians need to know as ‘threat to life' wind warning issued
What is MetService saying? MetService has upgraded Wellington's wind warning to a red level, with destructive gales and a threat to life from flying items and falling trees. Wind speeds have already reached at least 150 km/h in exceptionally exposed areas and 118 km/h elsewhere. Gusts of 140km/h are possible through the day. 'Destructive winds will cause widespread damage including powerlines and roofs, with dangerous driving conditions and significant disruption to transport and power supply,' it said in a statement. The combined effects of heavy rain, high tides and large waves of seven metres have the potential to exacerbate the impacts from the damaging gusts affecting the area. 'In addition, the unusual direction of these very strong winds – being from the southwest rather than the more common strong northerly winds, is also expected to increase the likelihood of wind-induced damage," the statement said. The warning was issued at 10am and will last for 17 hours until 3am tomorrow. 'Stay indoors or seek sturdy shelter away from trees. Avoid travel. Be ready for power and communication [outages].' MetService said the wind would peak this afternoon, especially about the south coast and exposed hilltops before easing this evening. WREMO said the peak is expected at 1pm. 'We know that strong wind warnings are fairly common for our region and it's easy to get complacent, but Wellingtonians should take this one seriously and be prepared,' said spokesman Dan Neely. What is a red level warning? MetService red warnings are reserved for New Zealand's most extreme weather. This warning system was introduced in May 2019. Red warnings are only issued when widespread significant impacts, disruptions and safety issues are expected MetService uses a three-tier, colour-coded warning system. The majority of warnings issued by MetService are orange. A red warning signifies that people need to 'act now' as immediate action is required to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. People are encouraged to stay indoors or seek sturdy shelter away from trees. Avoid travel if possible and follow any advice from Civil Defence and other agencies. This is the first red warning MetService has issued this year, and it's the 16th red warning weather event since the system was introduced. How bad is Wellington's weather right now? The Wellington region has been battered by huge winds and heavy swells this morning, with reports of surface flooding, debris and slips on roads, power lines down, and trees falling. The capital is experiencing some of its strongest southerlies in more than a decade, with a gust of 160km/h recorded at Baring Head, between Wellington Harbour and Palliser Bay. Most flights in and out of the city were cancelled this morning, with Air NZ advising more were expected to be cancelled throughout the day. Cook Strait ferry sailings have also been cancelled until at least tomorrow. Power has been knocked out to hundreds of homes around the region, with work ongoing to restore electricity. Waves can be seen crashing up over the road in some coastal areas, including Wellington's south coast, and Lower Hutt's Eastbourne. When will the winds be the strongest? Severe gale southwesterlies with damaging gusts of 140 km/h are expected to peak this afternoon about 1pm, especially about the south coast and exposed hilltops. Winds are expected to begin to ease into this evening. Meanwhile Wellington is also under an orange heavy rain warning until midday Friday. MetService expects 90-110mm of rain about the eastern hills and ranges, and 50-70 mm elsewhere. Peak rates of 10-20 mm/h are expected mainly about the ranges. There is a minimal chance of the rain warning being upgraded to red. 'Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible,' the orange warning said. What do authorities advise? Stay indoors Stay away from windows and doors. Shelter in the middle of the house, preferably in an internal room such as a bathroom Do not walk around outside or drive unless absolutely necessary Seek sturdy shelter away from trees Bring pets indoors and move stock to shelter Be prepared for power and communication outages If travelling, take care in coastal areas Secure loose items around your property to prevent damage Unplug small appliances which may be affected by electrical power surges. If power is lost, unplug major appliances to reduce the power surge and possible damage when power is restored Stay out of the water for 2–3 days after heavy rain Where to go for information, advice, and help: Follow the Herald's live weather blog for continued updates. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. If you or others are in danger, call 111. Check MetService for weather warnings Check Metlink for public transport updates Monitor your local council's website for latest advice. To report weather-related issues within the Wellington City Council area, call 04 499 4444, email info@ use the FixIt App, or fill out the webform. In Upper Hutt, call council on (04) 527 2169 to report urgent issues. In Porirua, call council on (04) 237 5089 to report urgent issues. Call Kapiti Coast District Council 0800 486 486 or 04 296 4700.
