Weather Update

Published on 20 February 2018

Whanganui District Council Media Advisory

6.00pm Tuesday 20 February 2018

Weather Update

As Cyclone Gita arrives in New Zealand, high winds are starting to be experienced in the Whanganui District. Winds have been logged at nearly 70 km/hr at Whanganui Airport and we may have winds gusting up to 120 km/hr into the evening and early hours of Wednesday 21 February.

Strong wind gusts may damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles. Travel is not advised. You are best to stay home and stay safe until the storm has passed.

Power cuts have been experienced throughout Taranaki and have started to be reported in Whanganui, with current outages in Aramoho and Kakatahi.

There is currently also a wave warning in place for our region. Visiting beaches is not recommended until the storm has abated. A northwest swell combined with high winds could result in combined waves exceeding six metres for a time this evening.

To stay up to date on the weather situation, visit the MetService website. See http://www.metservice.com/warnings/tropical-cyclone-activity for more detail on Cyclone Gita, including the latest track map.

For local information and advice continue to check the Whanganui District Council’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/whanganuidistrictcouncil/ and listen for broadcasts on Brian FM - 91.2 FM.

If you experience a power cut contact your retailer to log faults. The electricity retailers trading on Powerco's networks can be found here. If you cannot get through to your retailer you can log your fault through the Powerco app. 

If you need to contact Whanganui District Council, call 06 349 0001.