Ferry sailings axed as swells hit Cook Strait, heavy rain lashes North

Multiple Interislander and Bluebridge crossings have been cancelled through Friday as six-metre swells are forecast, while MetService warns of up to 100mm of rain for Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.

Both major Cook Strait ferry operators have cancelled multiple sailings between Wellington and Picton on Thursday and Friday as forecasters predict large swells and high winds.

Interislander scrapped six crossings including Thursday's 3.30pm Wellington departure and 9.30pm Picton departure, plus four Friday sailings at 3.30am and 3.30pm from Wellington and 9.30am and 9.30pm from Picton. Bluebridge axed more than half its Thursday schedule, cutting five crossings. Affected passengers are being offered alternative sailings or refunds.

MetService issued an Orange Wind Warning for Wellington, Marlborough east of Seddon and the Marlborough Sounds lasting from Thursday night until Friday evening. A heavy swell warning applies to coastal areas from Cape Terawhiti to Turakirae Head in Wellington and from Turakirae Head to Flat Point in Wairarapa, running from 3am to 6pm Friday.

Combined southerly waves will reach 6 metres early Friday morning along Wellington and Wairarapa shores, with peaks around 6 metres late morning. The forecast includes southerly swells climbing to 5-6 metres combined with wind-generated waves of 3-4 metres.

Wellington Civil Defence Emergency Management said a swell warning is active for southern Wellington and Wairarapa coasts, though evacuations are unlikely and wave heights should remain below those recorded weeks earlier. Major damage to roads or buildings is not anticipated.

Both ferry operators are tracking conditions and may delay or cancel further trips if the weather deteriorates. NZTA has advised road users to prepare for strong winds, particularly drivers of high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists, with extra care needed on exposed routes such as Transmission Gully and Remutaka Hill.

Further north, heavy rain struck Auckland, Northland and Great Barrier Island on Wednesday. MetService placed the Coromandel Peninsula under a heavy rain warning until 8pm Wednesday and warned of heavy rain for Bay of Plenty west of Kawerau until 3am Thursday.

Forecasters expect up to 100mm of rain in the worst-hit areas, with isolated downpours producing as much as 40mm per hour. Northern Auckland received 30-40mm on Wednesday morning.

MetService meteorologist John Law said low pressure was pushing rain from Northland across to the Bay of Plenty, while a front moved up from the South Island. Law said Coromandel's eastern coast and Bay of Plenty were expected to receive the heaviest rainfall.