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Hundreds of seafront residents were told to evacuate, a plane blew over at Wellington airport and a waterfront pathway was closed on Tuesday as the capital braced for high tide.
A state of emergency was in place for Wellington's southern and eastern wards as huge swells were forecast for Wellington and Wairapa.
Wellington Region Emergency Management Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for waterfront properties in Ōwhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay and Breaker Bay.
