Storm lashes country, leave towns cut off and some flights cancelled
Christchurch: The storm that lashed the country has now passed over the top of the South Island. Thousands are without power and states of emergency have been declared as Cyclone Gita brought heavy rain and strong winds.
The provinces still under a state of emergency are Selwyn, Tasman and Taranaki.
WeatherWatch said Gita would split into two centres: one on the western side of the South Island, the other to the east of the South Island.
Christchurch City council said it was drenched on Tuesday night but got a lot less rain than feared and managed to escape the 9.30pm high tide relatively unscathed.
At least 5000 people in Golden Bay and Collingwood were cut off after heavy rain brought down slips, closing the road in three places on Takaka Hill.
The storm cut off electricity to 14,000 residents in Taranaki late on Tuesday.
About 200 tourists spent the night in their buses or in welfare centres along the South Island’s West Coast, with strong winds making travel in some dangerous places. Emergency services helped some residents in Granity, on the West Coast evacuate that night.
MetService meteorologist Peter Little said the impact of the storm was slowly easing. A number of flights into Wellington Airport were cancelled yesterday morning.
Thunderstorms continue as cyclone moves on
MetService still expected heavy rain in Otago and thunderstorms in Wellington over the next day.
There were still thunderstorms over the west coast of the South Island north of Hokitika, which were expected to move on to Wellington last night.
More than 120 schools and 70 early learning centres remained closed in Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast, Otago and Waikato.