Authorities said they were considering sending ferries to ship the holiday-makers out of the remote South Island region after huge landslips closed the main highway. Elsewhere, the storm cut power to tens of thousands of homes, felled trees and washed away roads. Seven local council areas, including the South Island's main city of Christchurch, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as officials anticipated the worst. Most reported early Wednesday that the weather had not been as extreme as predicted, with the top of the South Island the worst-hit area. The official MetService weather bureau said the storm had moved out to sea south of Christchurch by mid-morning Wednesday.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 20, 2018 23:03 UTC