A wild storm system moving across New Zealand on Thursday is bringing swirling winds, surging waves and heavy rains to the capital Wellington and causing flooding in Christchurch.
New Zealand's Metservice announced a severe weather warning for Wellington and nearby regions, with winds of 130 km per hour (80 miles per hour) and waves of seven metres (23 feet) pounding the area.
The weather has caused most flights into Wellington to be cancelled and the ferry services that connect the country's two main islands to be suspended. Waves breaking onto some roads has forced them to close and one of the city's beach suburbs has been cut off.
