Monday brought a brutal start to the week for New Zealand’s North Island, as a ferocious storm unleashed severe rains and winds, causing widespread disruption and leaving a trail of damage. Thousands of homes were plunged into darkness, flights were grounded, and communities are grappling with the immediate aftermath of nature’s fury.
Over 30,000 properties across the lower North Island currently find themselves without power. Electricity providers, like Powerco, reported around 23,000 outages across their network, with a staggering 10,000 alone in the Wellington region, leaving many residents without essential services. Air New Zealand was forced to cancel numerous flights in and out of major centers, including the capital, Wellington, prioritizing passenger safety as intense winds lashed the region.
The storm’s devastating impact is visible through images circulating online: flooded streets, waterlogged semi-rural neighborhoods, submerged homes, and entire sections of roads washed away by receding floodwaters. The Manawatu-Whanganui region has been particularly hard hit, prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency. Evacuations are underway in areas like Masterton, where dangerously unstable, shallow-rooted trees pose a significant and ongoing threat to residents. Emergency services have been overwhelmed with a busy night of weather-related callouts, warning residents to stay indoors and vigilant.
The intensity of this weather event is staggering. Wind gusts have roared up to 240 kilometers per hour (149 mph) on the east coast, while parts of Wellington experienced gusts of 190 km/h. Five districts—Manawatu, Rangitikei, Tararua, Waipa, and Otorohanga—are currently under states of emergency, reflecting the severe conditions. While the strong winds and heavy rain are expected to gradually shift south and ease later on Monday, the immediate focus remains on safety and assessing the full extent of the damage. The clean-up and recovery efforts will undoubtedly be extensive in the days to come.
