New Zealand’s South Island was bearing the brunt of Cyclone Gita late yesterday, as the storm, which has left a trail of devastation in the Pacific, battered the country.
Seven councils in the upper South Island, including the country’s second biggest city, Christchurch, declared a state of emergency yesterday evening as Gita started to unleash its force on the country, causing widespread flooding and knocking out power to tens of thousands of people. The country’s MetService warned that heavy rain would cause slips, streams and rivers to rapidly rise.
There was also the risk of coastal inundation overnight due to the combination of tides and large waves in excess of 6m. Strong wind gusts up to 150km per hour could damage trees, power lines and buildings.
“The full impact of the storm will be felt overnight and tomorrow morning. We are expecting homes to be flooded,” Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said in a statement.
She advised residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate their homes before the worst of the storm hits. Many roads and schools in the upper half of the South Island have been closed and flights cancelled as New Zealand braced for the arrival of the storm. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Defence Force personnel had been deployed to places where the country is expected to be hit hardest.
The Civil Defence co-ordination unit at parliament was on standby and would be activated if required. “We are prepared and ready, and my message still to people is please look out for your local warnings, expect disruption to travel and please just be careful,” she said.
Air New Zealand cancelled all flights in and from Wellington, Nelson, Hokitika, Queenstown and New Plymouth through to midnight today.
Popular tourist train service TranzAlpine service was also cancelled for today and tomorrow and holidaymakers were urged to leave low-lying campsites.
Debris is carried by a river in Bainham, New Zealand in this picture obtained from social media.
