New Zealand Hit by Winds, Rain, Snow   05/01 06:02

   

   WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- Severe weather warnings covered swathes of 
New Zealand on Thursday with heavy downpours prompting a state of emergency for 
the South Island's largest city, Christchurch, while forecasters recorded 
"destructive" gales in the capital, Wellington.

   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 150 kph (93 mph) posed a "threat to life" from falling trees and flying 
objects, the forecaster Metservice said.

   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 5 meter (16 foot) swells in the 
Cook Strait, the body of water between New Zealand's two largest islands.

   About 1,000 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 63 kph (39 mph) 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. Local 
states of emergency were declared Thursday, including in Christchurch, 
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told reporters.

   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.