23/10 • AOTEAROA NZ STORMS

A red wind warning was issued for Wellington and the Wairarapa, where gusts of up to 160 km/h brought down trees, power lines, and parts of buildings. Public transport services were halted, ferry crossings suspended, and road travel became dangerous across the Cook Strait corridor.

In Wellington, a man died after being struck by a falling tree branch - a tragic loss and reminder of how quickly storms like this can turn deadly.

Across the country, other regions felt the storm’s reach. In Marlborough, hundreds of homes lost power; in Canterbury, rural roads were closed due to flooding and fallen trees. Auckland and Taranaki faced flight cancellations and wind damage, and several parts of the South Island are on flood watch.

While some can stay home, cancel appointments, or wait for conditions to ease, others can’t. Farmers face damaged crops and livestock risk. Essential workers like truck drivers, healthcare professionals and infrastructure teams across the country are required to travel regardless of warnings. 

This storm fits into a troubling and repeated pattern of intensifying extreme weather., especially in seasonal transition months. NIWA has observed more sudden and severe wind events in recent years, and many parts of Aotearoa remain underprepared for compounding infrastructure risks.

During these events, the most vulnerable are hit hardest - not just by wind, but by the systems that leave some without shelter, power, or options.