Chaos left as storm slowly departs
More than 6000 homes are without power in the central North Island, with more snow still expected in places.
A number of roads in the South Island remain closed, or have restrictions on them after snow first started falling on Wednesday.
The storm moved north and slammed into Wellington on Thursday morning, with winds of 140kmh recorded at Wellington’s Mt Kaukau on Wednesday, while out in the Cook Strait, one gust hit 167kmh.
Niwa Weather said the sustained wind speed at Baring Head – on the North Island’s Cook Strait coast – was 125kmh at 8am. That was the highest speed measured at that point since 2004, and typical of a category 3 tropical cyclone.
Powerco network operations manager Phil Marsh said there were still 2500 homes without power yesterday morning in Wairarapa, Manawatu, Whanganui and Taranaki, with 4000 more without power in the Waiouru, Ohakune and Taihape regions.
Snow and ice meant main highways through the central North Island remained closed early yesterday.
More than 400 people were yesterday trapped in lodges around Mt Ruapehu due to bad weather.
‘‘We are just trying to survive,’’ said Skotel Alpine Resort general manager Rebecca Dalgarno at Whakapapa Village.
There were 120 people at that resort. Nearby Chateau Tongariro had 250 guests yesterday, with noone able to leave until State Highway 47 reopened, hotel manager Brad Mcglynn said.
At least food is no longer a problem after two trucks brought in supplies for the Chateau, Skotel Alpine Resort and other operations on Mt Ruapehu.
More than 60 people, including bus passengers, motorists and a train driver, were rescued by the New Zealand Army on the Central Plateau during Thursday’s blast.
Despite the rescue, they remain at the Malaya Barracks at the Waiouru Military Camp due to the storm.
Staff sergeant Sam Dermody said the roads in and out of Waiouru were still closed and the whole town had shut down.
The town was without power, so the stranded people could not stay in motels.
Dermody said the army had rescued 60 people from the roads, most of them from a large Manabus, but also other motorists and one train driver, who was waiting with the stranded bus.
A weather station in the Rimutaka Range recorded more than 150mm of rain in 24 hours, while Porirua had 83mm in 24 hours.
South Wairarapa District Council roading manager Mark Allingham said it was the worst flooding he had seen in his seven years with the council and it would take days to deal with all the slips, road closures and other cleanups from the storm.