A tree has fallen on a vehicle and ferries have been cancelled as heavy swells lash Wellington's south coast.
Firefighters were called to the scene after a tree fell on a vehicle outside Hutt Hospital, in Lower Hutt, at around 11.10am, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson told 1News.
No one was inside the car at the time and there are no reports of injuries.
It follows reports of downed power lines and domestic flooding in the area, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the road to Eastbourne will be closed until further notice after high tide and large waves scattered debris on the road, police said.
Owhiro Bay was one of the areas affected by the strong winds. (Source: Other)
The road will be closed from Point Howard onward.
The wild weather has also led to the cancellation of Interislander ferries for the remainder of the day, Interislander acting executive general manager Peter Mathews told 1News in a statement.
"We are monitoring the situation closely but at this stage we do not expect to resume sailing until tomorrow morning," he said.
"We regret the disruption this is causing to our passengers and freight customers, but safety must be out top priority."
Around 1000 passengers have been affected.
MetService issued a heavy swell warning on Wednesday which could bring debris and surface flooding to roads in the area.
The meteorological service has forecast southerly 5.5m swells lasting around 12 seconds which will peak at 6m on Wednesday afternoon. The swells will then ease to 5.5m in the evening, before lowering to 4.5m overnight.
The swells could bring debris and surface flooding to roads about the south Coast of Wellington and Eastbourne, especially around high tide at 11.48pm.
A strong wind watch has also been issued for Wellington and the Wairarapa, Marlborough about and south of the Wairau Valley, and eastern parts of the Sounds, with southerly winds potentially approaching severe gales in exposed places, particularly near the coast.
The latest information on weather warnings and watches can be found on the MetService website.
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