State of emergency declared for Wellington’s Southern and Eastern Wards

MetService has issued a heavy swell warning for the south coast between Ōwhiro Bay and Breaker Bay from 3am Tuesday 9 June to 9am Wednesday 10 June.

Everyone must stay away from the southern coastline. There will be two particularly dangerous periods at either side of high tide:

• 9.15am – 1.15pm, Tuesday 9 June.
• 9.45pm, Tuesday 9 June – 1.45am, Wednesday 10 June.

The Wairarapa coast and Wellington Harbour are also expected to be hit hard by the swells. Large waves are expected in Wellington Harbour including Petone and Eastbourne. However, these impacts are not expected to be as significant.

For context, the 2021 heavy swell event which saw a local State of Emergency declared and homes evacuated from Breaker Bay had expected swell heights of 6.5m. We are expecting swells of 8.5-9.5 metres during this event.

The public should avoid the affected areas throughout Tuesday and Wednesday until advised otherwise.

Further information

• Stay up-to-date with weather warnings on the MetService website
• Get the latest updates on Council's Facebook page
• Find emergency management information and tips on the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (WREMO) website
• For public transport updates check the Metlink website
• For information about power outages visit the Wellington Electricity website
• Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA) recommends staying out of the water for two to three days after heavy rain. Check where you can swim on the LAWA website