Gale-force winds and rough seas battered New Zealand’s capital of Wellington on Tuesday, forcing ferry and flight cancellations and road closures as authorities urged ​hundreds of residents along the city’s south coast to evacuate.

A light ‌aircraft was briefly blown over by strong winds at Wellington airport after a gust of wind tipped the plane onto its wing and wheel, an airport spokesperson ​said by email.

“Nobody was injured, and it was quickly righted,” ​it said.

The New Zealand Herald said the plane had just ⁠landed and passengers had disembarked when the craft tipped.

Around eight flights ​were cancelled at Wellington’s airport. Air New Zealand has informed passengers that ​forecast high winds could disrupt some flights from Wellington and offered rebooking options, Radio New Zealand reported.

A state of emergency has been declared for parts of Wellington ​as the weather bureau warned of waves up to 9 metres along the city’s south coast.

“We are now entering the forecast period for the most ‌significant ⁠swell impacts.

If you are in the evacuation zone and have not left your property, please shelter in place,“ the Wellington City Council said in a post on Facebook.

Ferry services between New Zealand’s North and ​South Islands were ​cancelled on Tuesday.

Waves ⁠are forecast to rise rapidly through Tuesday morning and early afternoon along the east coasts of the North ​and South Islands and at the Chatham Islands, the ​weather ⁠bureau said.

Island Bay resident Jonathan Delich, who owns Cook Strait Fishing Charters, told the New Zealand Herald he has cancelled all operations scheduled for Tuesday ⁠and ​Wednesday.

“We wouldn’t take you fishing even if ​you wanted to … no one in their right mind would go out on the water ​today,” Delich said.