June 26, 2026
A storm battered central New Zealand on Friday, bringing air traffic to a standstill in the capital Wellington, knocking out power to thousands of households and triggering flooding and landslides.
National weather forecaster MetService issued multiple severe weather warnings as a low-pressure system swept across the country.
It warned of heavy rain and wind gusts up to 120 kph , after recording winds exceeding 150 kph in parts of the country overnight.
Winds from the storm forced the cancellation of 200 flights in and out of Wellington.
