– Air New Zealand is warning of potential flight disruptions as a subtropical storm is set to hit parts of the North Island.
Forecaster Met Service has issued weather warnings for northern and eastern areas of the island, with heavy rain and severe gales expected.
It anticipates heavy rain in Northland, Coromandel Peninsula, Gisborne and parts of Hawke’s Bay, with 100 mm expected to fall and up to 150 mm in the Gisborne ranges.
It says Marlborough is also set to be drenched, with up to 120 mm expected in the coming days.
It is warning residents in these areas to expect downpours of up to 20 mm an hour and rapidly rising streams and rivers and localised flooding.
Gale south easterlies gusting up to 130 km/h are predicted for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula and eastern Waikato.
Strong winds are also forecast for Taranaki, Horowhenua/Kapiti and about the Marlborough Sounds.
It says winds will be strong enough to bring down trees and power lines, may cause damage to some structures and make driving hazardous. Air New Zealand says the storm could impact its jet and regional services to and from Auckland and other upper North Island airports and advises passengers to check flight details.
(Source – Yahoo News)
