New Zealand Hit by Life-Threatening Storms

In a rare move, New Zealand’s MetService has upgraded warnings for the capital to red—meaning threat to life—as the entire country is battered by storms.

Severe storms have caused havoc across New Zealand on May 1, 2025. Winds of 150km/h have been recorded in Wellington, and a "red warning" has been issued by MetService, meaning there is a danger to life. Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images

New Zealand has been hit by storms rated as being a threat to life, as Wellington experiences destructive gale-force winds reaching 140 km/h, sending debris flying and uprooting trees.

MetService, the government’s forecasting agency, warns that power lines and roofs are at risk, and that “dangerous driving conditions and significant disruptions to power supply” are likely.