Polar storm subsides, leaving debris in capital
Wellington's high waves: Storm delivers debris but not as much damage as feared
A state of emergency in Wellington's Breaker Bay was lifted this afternoon and residents and contractors began the clean-up after 6m-high waves thrashed the city's southern coastline.
It was an anxious night for hundreds of people living along the south coast who had to wait for first light to see if massive waves hitting the area last night caused any damage.
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster declared the state of emergency yesterday, ahead of high tide in the evening.
People from about 70 houses at Breaker Bay were told to evacuate by 6pm.
Local State of Emergency map in Wellington. Photo: RNZ
Wellington Region Emergency Management Office regional manager Jeremy Holmes said last night that the advice from MetService was that the worst impact of the weather would hit between midnight and 3am today.
Some people refused to evacuate the area and Civil Defence said although that was disappointing it would not be sending in the police.
Wellington Emergency Management Office senior advisor Dan Neely told Morning Report there were no injuries reported and the impacts weren't as bad as predicted.
The waves were the same size when compared with last year's weather event where properties and roads sustained water damage, he said.
Waves up to 5.5m high were expected this morning, but residents were allowed to return home about 11.15am.
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Some roads were still closed to traffic as crews cleared up the remaining debris.
Breaker Bay Road was expected to open to traffic about 4pm today. Crews were busy clearing driftwood, gravel and debris from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay and Karaka Bay.
Motorists and pedestrians were being urged to take care.
At Ōwhiro Bay, the waves continued to cause problems, with one house sustaining damage, and crews on site pumping seawater from one property.
Lyall Bay resident Jennifer Saunders who regularly walks her dog along the beach said she had not seen water as high up on Wellington's south coast as it was this morning.
The waves hit Wellington's south coast while the stormy weather enabled Coronet Peak skifield to open. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Chris Stuart, who lives in between Ōwhiro Bay and Island Bay, told RNZ this morning that he hoped the worst of the waves was over.
"It's bigger today than it was yesterday. But we've just reached that high tide point, so we'd expect the waves to lift as the tide goes out."
Stuart said the swell wasn't as significant as last year, when a number of roads and houses were seriously damaged.
The state of emergency was officially lifted at 1.30pm.
South Island roads reopen
Snow continued to cause some upheaval in the deep south. After several roads were closed yesterday just two had the 'road closed' sign up today.
Waka Kotahi said State Highway 87 from Kyeburn to Outram finally reopened about 1.20pm after crews used three ploughs and a loader to clear heavy snow.
Three ploughs and a loader cleared snow from State Highway 87 between Outram and Kyeburn. Photo: Supplied / Waka Kotahi
Old Dunstan Road, at the State Highway 87 end, also reopened.
Coronet Peak opened its slopes for the winter season, after an extra 25 centimetres of snow fell overnight due to the polar blast.
Warm temperatures forced the ski area, near Queenstown, to delay its opening this season.
NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson said the overnight snowfall was a silver lining after the storm.
He was expecting up to 3000 people on the slopes today.
But while skiers welcomed the dip in temperatures, many were awaking to the coldest night of the year so far, including Blenheim which registered -3degC.