Marlborough Harbourmaster Jake Oliver is “strongly advising” boaties to stay out of the water until at least Wednesday.

“Marine conditions will be pretty bad for at least the next two days. We’re expecting wind gusts of up to 100 km/h around Picton and possibly even higher in the outer Marlborough Sounds.”

He said after discussions with Port Marlborough and the ferry operators, shipping operations to and from Picton will be suspended tomorrow for all ships over 350 gross tons.

“Port Marlborough has advised it will suspend marine operations from 10.00 am until 10.00 pm tomorrow, Tuesday.”

“These times are subject to change depending on the movement of the weather system,” he said.

“Tory Channel will be closed from 10.00 am tomorrow until 2.00 pm on Wednesday 15 February, due to the predicted wave heights and wind strength.”

Mayor Nadine Taylor encourages residents to prepare as ex-cyclone Gabrielle travels south.

“Our advice is to use today to prepare and stay off the roads tomorrow, and also off the water.”

She said people are strongly advised to keep up with weather forecasts. Marlborough Civil Defence and Emergency Management are closely monitoring the situation. Council’s Rivers and Drainage team is keeping a close eye on rainfall and river levels, particularly on the East Coast.

Waste and recycling

Waste and recycling kerbside collections will go ahead tomorrow but please consider withholding your waste and recycling until next week or take it to the transfer station later this week. Strong winds may affect bags and crates tomorrow.

Stay informed during an emergency. Listen to the radio and follow the Council’s Facebook page or website. Download the Antenno app from Google Play or the App Store to receive updates on your phone.

More information:

www.metservice.com/

www.marlborough.govt.nz/

www.facebook.com/MarlDistCouncil

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