A ferocious storm packing heavy rains and gale-force winds battered New Zealand's North Island over the weekend, claiming at least one life and unleashing chaos across roads, homes, and airports.
One man was found dead in a submerged vehicle on a highway, domestic media reported, highlighting the deadly toll of the extreme weather that flooded areas and toppled trees.
Air travel ground to a near halt as authorities noted most morning flights from Wellington Airport, the capital's main hub, were disrupted. By afternoon, a few flights had resumed, though cancellations remained widespread.
Air New Zealand announced it had paused operations at Wellington, Napier, and Palmerston North airports, expressing hope to resume services later on Monday as conditions eased.
Online images captured the storm's wrath: flooded semirural neighbourhoods, homes swamped with water, trees crashed onto vehicles, and sections of road collapsed, visible once floodwaters began to recede.
In the rural town of Bunnythorpe, about 160km (100 miles) north of Wellington, resident Marilyn Bulford described the weather as “absolutely terrifying” in an interview with The New Zealand Herald newspaper.
“I’ve never seen huge trees blowing around this much,” Bulford added. “It’s so bad. I haven’t seen anything like it.” Her account underscored the unprecedented fury of the storm for locals in the affected areas.
