With potentially deadly gales due to ramp up tomorrow, authorities are giving advice on how people should prepare: hunker down.
With potentially deadly gales due to ramp up tomorrow, authorities are giving advice on how people should prepare: hunker down.
With MetService issuing a red wind warning for tomorrow, Wellington Electricity is asking customers to prepare for the likelihood of power outages.
To prepare, they are placing additional crews on standby to patrol the network and respond to faults tomorrow and over the long weekend.
They have also cancelled all planned work scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
What customers can expect
The electricity company asked customers to prepare for the chance of extended power outages as trees and debris are blown into our power lines.
“Our first priority will be to attend any faults which present a safety concern, with our next priority being to restore power to the largest affected areas.
“We’ll then work on fixing smaller faults and restoring power to any individual properties that might still be without power.”
For faults impacting the network’s overhead lines, crews will need to wait for the weather to die down before they can safely complete repairs.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has declared a total ban on open fires and fireworks across the whole of Canterbury because of the gales, high temperatures and low humidity that are forecast for the next few days.
Fire and Emergency NZ advised people to check their old burn piles today and make sure they are cold all the way through.
“That means turning them over and looking for smouldering embers. A fire reigniting in the forecast winds could be devastating,” they said.
While vegetation may appear green, this can be deceptive – dead fuels, such as grass and leaves, remain present and can ignite easily.
Safety and preparedness
Take action now to keep yourself, your whānau and your property safe:
• Secure trampolines, outdoor furniture and bins.
• Bring pets inside and ensure livestock have shelter.
• Avoid lighting fires or using gas cookers outdoors.
• Stay away from large trees, low-lying areas and riverbanks.
• Drive with extreme caution, especially in exposed or high-country areas.
• Plan ahead for tomorrow as industrial action may affect normal routines.
• Prepare an emergency plan with your household. Winds of this strength can cause damage to roofs and powerlines and pose a risk to life from flying debris or falling trees.
• If you, your family, or your property are at risk, contact emergency services immediately by calling 111.
Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management urges residents to take weather warnings seriously and follow the provided advice.
Power outages
Travel
Metlink said all East by West ferry services and some bus services are cancelled tomorrow.
All route 200 bus services in Wairarapa are cancelled for the day.
Other Metlink bus services will continue to operate while it is safe to do so.
Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (WREMO) and MetService are advising people in the Wellington region to avoid non-essential travel, due to forecast gale north westerlies with damaging gusts of 140 km/h in exposed places in Wellington and south of Carterton.
"We strongly encourage passengers who need to travel tomorrow to plan ahead using the latest travel information on the Metlink app and website and to expect delays," Metlink senior manager of operations Paul Tawharu said.
"We will be closely monitoring the situation and working with the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office ... to provide regular transport information and updates."
All Metlink train services between 8am and 6pm tomorrow are cancelled.
KiwiRail made the decision to close all Wellington train lines due to the red wind warning issued by MetService today.
All Wairarapa Line services are cancelled, and there will be no buses replacing trains on this line.
Train services on the Kāpiti, Hutt Valley, Melling and Johnsonville Lines, which terminate at Wellington Station before 8am will operate.
Between 8am and 6pm, Kāpiti and Hutt Valley Line train services will have limited buses replacing trains, running hourly services.
The Melling and Johnsonville Lines will not have any buses replacing trains.
Services are planned to resume after 6pm.
Police are urging Canterbury residents to prepare and to take extra care, with a red wind warning and a state of local emergency declared for tomorrow.
Canterbury District Commander Tony Hill said residents are asked to avoid non-essential travel.
"Consider if you really need to leave home. You may need to adjust any travel plans you have made."
Roads and highways are already impacted, and some roads may be closed.
If you must travel, drive to the conditions and take extra care, he said.
High winds could damage trees, powerlines and insecure roofs, and make driving hazardous for all drivers and especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists.
He said people should not light any outdoor fires for any reason.
A fire ban is in place from now until Sunday.
"Avoid lighting any fires or using gas cookers outside. A fire in high winds will spread very quickly.
"Police will be investigating any suspicious fires and may prosecute those responsible," Hill said.
Victoria University of Wellington has told students the campus will be closed tomorrow.
The decision was made after a red wind warning was issued for the area.
Online exams will proceed, while on-campus exams have been postponed.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand regional manager Brad Mosby said it is backing the action to declare a local emergency due to their significant concerns.
"Fire and Emergency fully support this action due to the significant concerns we have about the risks of fire and other emergencies eventuating from the forecasted high winds, the heat, and the low humidity, which are all contributing factors to wildfire events."
Mosby said Fire and Emergency has taken a proactive approach to reduce the risk of fire by imposing a prohibition on the lighting of any open fires or setting off fireworks in Marlborough, Canterbury and mid-south Canterbury.
Wellington City Council’s swimming pools, libraries, recreation centres and community centres will be closed tomorrow.
The decision was made after a Red Wind Warning was issued for the lower North Island by MetService.
The closures are for public safety and due to the likelihood that many facilities' staff may not safely be able to make it to work tomorrow.
The council’s Emergency Operations Centre has been activated.
"Please stay away from parks and reserves and areas with tall trees."
Wellington City’s rubbish and recycling collection will go ahead tomorrow in the suburbs where it is scheduled.
However, if you don’t need to put your rubbish out, please don’t, the council said.