State of emergency lifted in Wellington

Friday, 24 April 2026

Wellington City Council lifted the state of emergency put in place after Monday’s rain at 5pm on Friday.

The capital’s council, along with the three Wairarapa councils also affected by the heavy rains, are now in a so-called Local Transition Period.

The phase reflected the fact that while the most immediate life‑safety risks from the severe weather have passed, the impacts are not over, a council statement said.

“Recovery is a new phase of our response, focused on supporting people, coordinating clean‑up and restoring services, while continuing to manage risks like saturated ground and slips,” the statment said.

The view from Bibi Hawkes's window as stormwater swamped Emerson St in Berhampore in the April 2026 floods.

Wellington City’s Emergency Operations Centre will continue to be staffed and operate until further notice.