HEAVY rainfall and flooding in New Zealand’s North Island disrupted shipping schedules at the port of Auckland this week.
The New Zealand government declared a local state of emergency in Auckland on 9 May due to heavy rain and thunderstorms which, according to Reuters, wreaked havoc across the region and closed a number of main roads.
Ports of Auckland said the port said in an operational update on 10 May that terminal operations were running smoothly, but shipping schedules had been impacted.
It also reported last week that recent weather events had impacted operations and prevented the berthing and sailing of vessels.
“Terminal operations are running smoothly, however due to weather events and flow-on from last week, there has been some minor delays to vessel schedules,” the port said on 10 May.
“We are continuing to work closely with lines regarding scheduled berth windows and exchange sizes to maximise opportunities and focus on window arrivals and departures.
“Vessel schedules continue to remain changeable due to delays throughout the supply chain.”
Maersk advised on 10 May it expected its vessels B trader and Trieste Trader to encounter further delays due to adverse weather conditions in the region.
The two containerships operate on Maersk’s weekly trans-Tasman Polaris service, which also calls the ports of Nelson, Timaru, Lyttelton, Otago and Melbourne.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown on Thursday morning (11 May) ended the state of emergency declared over Auckland on 9.
This is the second state of emergency Auckland has experienced this year; Ports of Auckland was one of several ports impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle in February this year.
