Wellington City Council staff and contractors are on standby to deal with flooding, slips and fallen trees if the cyclone hits hard.
An Orange wind warning is in place for Wellington from 6pm today through to noon Tuesday. East to southeast winds are forecast to be severe at times, with gusts reaching 120 km/h in exposed places.
While the latest forecasts indicate that the impact will not be too severe for Wellington city, strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
The City Council’s emergency management staff met with staff from the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO), local councils, emergency services and infrastructure providers this morning to get the most up to date information and discuss preparations.
City Council Resilience Manager Chris Mathews says Wellingtonians should prepare by securing large, light or loose objects in their homes and backyards – for example trampolines.
If possible, they should also check the drains on the street outside their house to make sure they’re not blocked by leaf litter or rubbish. “If people can just run a broom over the drain or remove any plastic bottles or cans or similar – this can make a big difference if we get heavy rain.”
Council services and preparation
At this stage all council services will continue to operate as per normal, including rubbish and recycling collection.