State of emergency declared as huge waves batter New Zealand capital - VIDEO
Hundreds of residents were evacuated from their coastal homes in New Zealand’s capital on Tuesday as massive waves reaching up to 11 metres (36 feet) battered the shoreline, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little declared a state of emergency ahead of the severe swells for residents living in the seaside suburbs of Owhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay and Breaker Bay.
“You must stay away from the southern coastline,” Little said in a statement, warning that emergency services would not be able to assist anyone who chose to remain in the affected areas.
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The evacuation order came into effect on Tuesday morning, with police deployed to ensure residents moved to higher ground. Authorities also established road cordons around the area to prevent people from travelling toward the coast.
Strong winds and waves pound New Zealand's capital, cancelling flights and ferries#NewZealand #Wellington #Storm #SevereWeather #StrongWinds #roughseas #DailySun pic.twitter.com/V4HO0oQcAp
Wellington City Council noted that a similar weather event in 2021 caused significant damage to homes in Breaker Bay, although waves during that storm reached only about 6.5 metres.
According to New Zealand’s MetService, waves entering Wellington Harbour on Tuesday were measured at 11 metres.
Powerful wind gusts added to the hazardous conditions. An AFP journalist witnessed two women being knocked off their feet in Island Bay after waves surged across a coastal road.
The severe weather also disrupted air travel, with several flights cancelled at Wellington Airport, where wind gusts of up to 128 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour) were recorded.
A small aircraft belonging to local carrier Golden Bay Air was blown onto its side while parked at the airport. No one was on board at the time of the incident.
Golden Bay Air chief Richard Molloy told national broadcaster RNZ that firefighters had secured the aircraft to the ground following the accident.
By Nijat Babayev
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