Severe weather warnings are in place across New Zealand, with heavy downpours prompting a state of emergency for the South Island's largest city, Christchurch, while “destructive” gales have been recorded in the capital, Wellington.

Schools were closed and flights cancelled as Wellington was hit by its strongest winds in over a decade on Thursday while a state of emergency was declared in parts of the South Island after 24 hours of heavy rain.

It is the first red weather warning issued in New Zealand since flooding in Dunedin in October 2024, and a first red warning for wind in Wellington since the system's introduction 2019.

"Wellington is no stranger to high winds but even by our standards this is an extraordinary day in the capital," MetService meteorologist John Law said.

Heavy snow and large waves lashed other parts of the country. No deaths or serious injuries were reported. The extent of damage was not clear by afternoon, but evacuations were not widespread.

Thursday’s red wind warning for Wellington, at the southern end of New Zealand’s North Island, was the first time the capital – famous for its gusty gales – has ever faced the most severe alert level. Residents were urged to stay indoors, avoid travel and keep away from doors and windows as gusts of up to 150km/h (93mph) posed a “threat to life” from falling trees and flying objects, the forecaster Metservice said.

Cars drive through flooded streets in Christchurch. – AP

Flights to and from Wellington were cancelled throughout Thursday and passenger ferry sailings between the North and South Islands were halted until at least Friday afternoon. Metservice expected 5m (16ft) swells in the Cook Strait, the body of water between New Zealand’s two largest islands.

"This is certainly bigger than your average bad Wellington day," said Dan Neely, a spokesperson for the Wellington region's emergency management department.

"Few roads are closed in different parts of the region. We've got some waves overtopping coastal roads and dumping some debris."

The department asked people to stay indoors where possible and to secure outdoor furniture and trampolines. Residents in one coastal suburb have been asked to find alternative accommodation overnight due to fears of flooding.

About 1000 properties were without electricity Thursday afternoon in the wider Wellington region, which has a population of 550,000. The city’s largest university closed for the day, the Royal New Zealand Ballet cancelled an evening performance, and several schools sent students home.

Wellington is New Zealand’s windiest city – registering gusts at gale speeds of 63km/h (39mph) on about half the days of the year. But Wellington’s emergency management chief, Dan Neely, warned residents to take the warnings seriously because the southerly tempest was unusually strong and could threaten lives, Radio New Zealand reported.

In the city of Christchurch – the largest on the South Island – and in some nearby rural areas, heavy deluges caused rivers to spill over their banks, closing roads and prompting fears the floodwaters could reach homes.

Christchurch declared a state of emergency as floods, landslides and falling trees impacted the city.

"We expected the weather would ease, which hasn't happened so declaring will mean we are prepared for anything that may happen overnight," Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said.

The island's central Selwyn District had issued an emergency warning earlier on Thursday over flooding and rising river levels.

District Mayor Sam Broughton said in a Facebook post that significant flooding risks had developed across Selwyn, particularly in low-lying areas and people in most at-risk areas were being asked to evacuate.

MetService, a second government forecaster, said the high winds in Wellington are set to last until the early hours of Friday while the South Island was being hit by heavy rain.

Orange-level warnings – the second most serious – were issued across parts of both islands for severe rain and large sea swells, and in some South Island districts for heavy snow. The storm system that lay across much of the country Thursday was due to ease Friday.

New Zealanders are accustomed to wild winter conditions because of geographic features that produce variable and sometimes extreme weather across the country of 5 million people. But it was unusual that such widespread warnings were issued.