Wellington - Winds topping 100 kilometres an hour and torrential rains halted flights and inter-island ferries sailings out of the New Zealand capital, Wellington, Friday as forecasters warned there could be worse to come.

Air New Zealand cancelled flights, saying high winds made it too dangerous for planes to take off and land at the airport, and ferries scheduled to sail to the South Island stayed in port as 5-metre-plus swells were recorded in the Cook Strait.

Landslides blocked roads, and the Meteorological Service warned that a rapidly intensifying subtropical depression with "significant destructive potential" was likely to reach New Zealand by Saturday. (dpa)