Flooding persists in the Wairarapa region on Saturday morning as Wellington begins recovery from severe weather that grounded around 200 flights at the capital's airport on Friday.
A low-pressure system delivered winds surpassing 150km/h to Wellington on Friday. Flight operations restarted on Saturday morning, though the airport has cautioned passengers to expect ongoing disruptions while airlines work through the backlog. "Passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines for information on specific flights," a Wellington Airport spokesperson said.
Fire and Emergency central shift manager Chris Dalton characterised overnight conditions as a "very wet night", with fire crews attending flood-related incidents similar to the previous day. In one case, a passing motorist towed a vehicle free after its driver entered floodwaters, with fire crews arriving afterwards.
Water levels remained elevated in Wairarapa on Saturday morning. Carterton resident Nat Chesterfield, whose property was flooded, said "it's currently raining, but much lighter than yesterday". State Highway 53 at the Waihenga Bridge near Martinborough stayed shut because of elevated water levels in the Ruamahanga River. "The route will remain closed until flood waters recede and the bridge is safe to reopen," an NZTA spokesperson said. "There is no estimated time for when this may happen."
More than 2500 households were without electricity on Saturday morning, down from 7000 on Friday. State highways in Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and the Kapiti Coast are now open. The northbound closure on State Highway 2 between Wiltons Rd and Norfolk Rd has been removed, though a 50km/h temporary speed limit remains in areas where residual flooding persists. MetService has lifted all weather warnings.