New Zealand is preparing for the worst.
The National Party has warned that if the state is hit by another large snowfall, it would have to cut the number of weddings from its planned 40,000 to 20,000.
There is also the issue of people losing their homes.
“The issue of homelessness is one that’s going to be very acute,” National Party candidate for Auckland mayoral candidate Simon Harris said on Monday.
As the forecast worsened, the National Party issued a warning that if a large snowstorm was forecast on Wednesday night or Thursday morning, it could lead to a “significant increase in the number” of people living in emergency accommodation.
That could mean people are moving from one location to another, Harris said.
New Zealand has seen some of the worst snowfalls in its recent history.
It is not clear what caused the storm to blow in from the south on Tuesday night, but Harris said the country had been preparing for it.
He said the snow was still falling, but it would be worse if it was not there.
This would be a disaster for our people if it were to come to that, he said.
“The National Government would be in a much worse position if this was to happen.”
National party leader Winston Peters, who has been campaigning for a second term, said the party would not be giving up on the state of New Zealand.
In a statement on Wednesday, Peters said the forecast had not changed since it was last updated in April.
However, he did say the state had been getting worse, adding that there had been “some significant increases” in the amount of people moving from other parts of the country.
Peters said there were no other major events that could affect New Zealand before the snowstorm.
If there were, Peters added, they could be cancelled or postponed.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown said he had been briefed by the National Government.
Brown said the state’s response had been adequate and that he was confident the city would be able to cope.
While Brown said the city had not seen a major snowstorm in the past, he believed the snowfall would be severe.
Some people were also worried about the cost of living.
Many Aucklanders would be spending money on groceries, but not on essentials, Brown said.
“It’s a really big risk.”
A number of people were in the city centre at the height of the storm, waiting to be able back into their homes after their businesses had been closed.
Police were on the streets in some parts of Auckland, including in the CBD, and the city was bracing for up to six inches of snow.
Earlier, a woman said she was not worried about moving from her home to a house nearby.
When asked if she was worried about how her house would look, she said: “Not really, I’m a bit more worried about getting the water on my lawn.
I’m more worried how I’m going to get my children out of the house and into the yard.”
If there’s snow, I don’t mind moving to a better place.
“Topics:emergency-incidents,weather,weather-and-event,australiaFirst posted November 09, 2017 12:39:57More stories from New Zealand
