Strong winds are expected for much of the weekend. Photo: 123RF
MetService is warning of extremely high winds expected mostly in the South Island and lower half of the North Island over the weekend.
There are orange strong wind warnings in effect for Wellington, Wairarapa, the Canterbury High Country and Marlborough region excluding the Sounds from Saturday afternoon into Monday, MetService said.
The strongest winds are expected on Sunday.
Strong winds on the way this weekend
— MetService (@MetService) September 14, 2023
Severe Weather Watches and Warnings have just been issued for this weekend.
Today marks a lull in the pattern of strong winds, but a strong west to northwest flow becomes established over the country tomorrow (Saturday) and continues… pic.twitter.com/yU3imUxCqZ
MetService warns that strong wind gusts could damage trees, power lines and unsecured structures.
Driving may also be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
This map shows the regions that may experience wind gusts over 100 km/h on Sunday
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) September 15, 2023
= high chance (over 70%), including much of the inland/eastern South Island & lower/eastern North Island
Impacts like power cuts, downed trees & some property damage are possible! ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/6znaBRwYPH
Heavy rain warnings are also in place for most of the West Coast region, with alerts that rain may cause some streams and rivers to rise rapidly.
There is also a heavy swell warning for the Kapiti Coast.
All current MetService warnings can be found here.
