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A car was crushed by a fallen tree in Brooklands, Taranaki on Tuesday amid high winds.
A house in New Plymouth was hardly damaged by a tree blown over by hurricane force winds, after a car took the brunt of the fall.
On Tuesday morning, Julie Farrant was about to walk out her front door in Brooklands when she decided to make herself a cup of tea and toast before leaving. Before he’d had a chance to take a bite, he heard a loud crack and crashed outside.
Farrant initially thought it was an earthquake, but soon realized that the noise was a tree that had fallen in high winds, hitting his car but luckily not reaching his house.
“It’s pretty squashed,” he said about the car. But she credited the Volkswagen Tongan’s 5-star safety rating, saying it probably “saved my home.”
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After the incident, Farrant called her husband, neighbor, and 111, and said she was very impressed with a New Zealand Fire and Emergency team quickly showing up to help even though she was probably busy with other calls in the middle of the weather. wild in town on Tuesday.
Farrant said that the Atawhai tree services that helped deal with the debris were excellent and that she was glad she decided to stay inside and make that cup of tea.
“I feel a little lucky.”
A car
Trees blocked various parts of the highway on State Highway 47, between Turangi and the western side of Tongariro National Park on Tuesday night.
Parts of the North Island experienced strong hurricane-force winds Tuesday, which even saw downed trees shut down state highways overnight.
According to the Waka Kotahi NZ Transportation Agency (NZTA), State Highway 47 and State Highway 5 are closed in the center of the North Island after downed trees blocked the roads.
Both highways are likely to remain closed overnight, with an update to be provided in the morning, NZTA said in a statement.
Throughout Tuesday, strong winds in New Plymouth downed trees on roads, sent trampolines through the air and ripped iron from the roofs of buildings. While the gusts also cut the power in some cities of Taranaki in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, strong winds further south have also left hundreds of passengers stranded on an Interislander ferry for hours due to delays to a safe ferry crossing.
MetService had a high wind warning for Taranaki. However, this expired at 9pm on Tuesday and was being replaced by a wind clock.
A heavy rain warning was also lifted at 9 p.m. for Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay north of Napier.
METSERVICE
Rain lingers in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay today, with a heavy rain warning valid until 9pm tonight.
Strong winds will remain overnight for Gisborne, Bay of Plenty from Whakatāne to the east, Taupō, Taumarunui, Taihape, and the Hawke’s Bay ranges.
MetService forecaster Cameron Coutts said gusting winds of 90 km / h were recorded at New Plymouth Airport around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, with 75 km / h winds also recorded at Hāwera.
However, he said the wind was dying in the area.
The wild climate is due to a subtropical low that has drifted southeast across the North Island and has been accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds.
On Wednesday, the South Island expects a calm and sunny day with some cold lows overnight.
A good Wednesday is also in the cards for Auckland, with a high of 25 degrees Celsius. MetService forecasts that the weather will hold up well through the end of the weekend, at least.
