State of emergency declared in New Zealand's Wellington as 11-meter waves force hundreds to evacuate

Hundreds of coastal residents in New Zealand's capital were evacuated on Tuesday (June 9) as massive 11-metre (36-foot) waves battered the shoreline. The severe weather prompted Wellington Mayor Andrew Little to declare a state of emergency for the seaside communities of Owhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay, and Breaker Bay just before the swells arrived.

In a stern statement, Mayor Little urged people to remain clear of the southern coastline, explicitly warning that emergency personnel would not risk entering the danger zones to rescue anyone who refused to leave.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

The evacuation order commenced Tuesday morning (June 9). Police officers were deployed to ensure residents moved to higher ground, establishing cordons on surrounding roads to block access to the hazardous coastal areas. According to the local council, this storm significantly eclipsed a similar event in 2021, where 6.5-metre waves damaged numerous homes in Breaker Bay. New Zealand's MetService confirmed that the waves entering Wellington Harbour during this latest surge reached a staggering 11 metres.

The fierce swells were accompanied by destructive winds. At Island Bay, an AFP journalist witnessed two women being knocked off their feet by powerful gusts as waves washed across the roadway.

The extreme weather also caused severe disruptions at Wellington Airport, where wind gusts peaked at 128 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour), forcing the cancellation of several flights. The gale-force winds even flipped a parked, unoccupied light aircraft belonging to local carrier Golden Bay Air onto its side. Airline boss Richard Molloy later confirmed to national broadcaster RNZ that emergency firefighters had successfully intervened to secure the aircraft back to the ground.