Severe weather has shifted south, drenching Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula, where relentless rain has already triggered flooding in Akaroa. Torrential showers have transformed the seaside town’s recreation field into what looks more like a lake, while several nearby streets close to the shoreline are now underwater.
An orange heavy rain alert remains active for the peninsula, with forecasts warning that as much as 100 millimetres of additional rainfall could arrive before 6 p.m. Tuesday. Meanwhile, Christchurch, along with the Canterbury Plains and surrounding foothills between the Rangitata River and Amberley, is under a heavy rain watch through 10 a.m.
The Christchurch City Council says it’s keeping a close eye on conditions after receiving reports of surface flooding. Road maintenance teams are ready to respond overnight, with officials expecting clearer updates by morning.
Authorities are also tracking water levels at Lake Forsyth, which could impact travel along State Highway 75 connecting Christchurch and Akaroa.
Farther north, winds that battered Wellington on Monday ranked as the strongest in over ten years, according to MetService. Gusts peaked at 193 km/h at Mount Kaukau and 128 km/h at Wellington Airport, the highest readings at both spots since 2013.
An orange rain warning that covered Wellington’s eastern hills, Wairarapa, and the Tararua Range expired late Monday night. Still, the storm left a major impact: more than 30,000 properties across the lower North Island lost electricity after powerful winds toppled trees and power lines.
Utility provider Powerco reported roughly 23,000 outages across its network, including about 10,000 in the Wellington area alone. The Manawatū-Whanganui region has been particularly hard hit and is now under a state of emergency.
In Masterton, residents living on Lincoln Road were forced to evacuate due to fears that storm-damaged trees might fall.
Flights operated by Air NZ were cancelled to and from several major hubs, including the capital, because of the dangerous winds.
“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.
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