A state of emergency has been declared for parts of Wellington as the weather bureau warned of waves up to nine metres
1-MIN READ1-MIN ListenReutersPublished: 10:20am, 9 Jun 2026Updated: 10:22am, 9 Jun 2026Gale-force winds and rough seas battered New Zealand’s capital of Wellington on Tuesday, forcing ferry and flight cancellations and road closures as authorities urged hundreds of residents along the city’s south coast to evacuate.A light aircraft was briefly blown over by strong winds at Wellington airport after a gust of wind tipped the plane onto its wing and wheel, the airport confirmed by email.
“Nobody was injured and it was quickly righted,” it said.
The New Zealand Herald said the plane had just landed and passengers had disembarked when the craft tipped.
Around eight flights were cancelled at Wellington’s airport. Air New Zealand has informed passengers that forecast high winds could disrupt some flights from Wellington and offered rebooking options, Radio New Zealand reported.
No one in their right mind would go out on the water todayJonathan Delich, fishing charter operatorA state of emergency has been declared for parts of Wellington as the weather bureau warned of waves up to nine metres (29.5 feet) along the city’s south coast.
