Wild New Zealand storm disrupts transport, leaving thousands without power

SYDNEY - Heavy rain and strong winds disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island on Feb 16, while snapping power links to tens of thousands.

The domestic media reported that a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in the capital Wellington, although cancellations were still widespread after airport authorities said most morning flights had been disrupted.

Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease later on Feb 16, after it paused operations at Wellington, Napier and Palmerston North airports.

Online images showed flooded semi-rural neighbourhoods, inundated homes, trees fallen on vehicles, and collapsed sections of road after the waters receded.

The weather had been “absolutely terrifying”, Ms Marilyn Bulford, who lives in the rural town of Bunnythorpe, about 160km north of Wellington, told the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

“I’ve never seen huge trees blowing around this much,” she added. “It’s so bad. I haven’t seen anything like it.”

The Wellington region accounted for more than half of the 852 emergency calls received overnight, said Mr Ken Cooper, assistant national commander of the emergency services.

“We had a very busy night, and our firefighters are continuing to respond to calls,” he added.

More than 30,000 properties were without power, including about 10,000 customers in Wellington, said the authorities, who have urged motorists to stay off roads, while several schools were closed as emergency crews tackled widespread damage.

The storm is forecast to bring heavy rain as it heads for the east coast of the South Island on Feb 17, the weather bureau said, with the authorities warning of further disruption.

Raw sewage discharged after the failure of Wellington’s main wastewater treatment plant in a storm earlier in February was washed back onto the south coast by the weekend storm, in an incident some residents called a “poonami” on social media.

A low-pressure system east of the North Island has battered several regions since the weekend, bringing heavy rain and severe gales. A man was found dead on Feb 14 in a submerged vehicle on a highway.

The storm follows six deaths in January in a landslide triggered by heavy rain at Mount Maunganui on the North Island’s east coast, bringing down soil and rubble on a site crowded with families on their summer holidays. REUTERS