Strong storm hits major New Zealand cities, cut off electricity

NEWS DESK

Winds of up to 146 kilometers per hour were uprooted trees and power lines were dropped overnight, leaving more than 100,000 homes and businesses cut off.

Victor Electricity Distribution said it was likely to take days to restore electricity.

While New Zealand's national airline urged passengers to postpone any non-urgent flights, as flights were disrupted by bad weather.

"New Zealand is experiencing a major disruption to its network today as a result of the weather and the temporary closure of the runway at Auckland airport on Tuesday night, which has led a number of aircraft to switch to other airports," the company said in a statement.

Roads were filled with rubble and some traffic lights were disrupted, prompting authorities to ask more than 1.3 million residents of New Zealand's commercial capital to stay home if possible.

"There was damage throughout Auckland on Wednesday morning after the heavy winds last night ... Please do not travel unless necessary," the Auckland Municipal Council said.

The storm, which is expected to continue in the next few days, began hitting the country on Tuesday, carrying off-season autumn snow with parts of South Island and causing limited storms in Northkilland.

(H/S)

ANHA