(Bloomberg) -- Gale-force winds battered parts of New Zealand for the second time in three days Thursday, grounding aircraft and prompting warnings from emergency services for people to take care and avoid travel.

The MetService posted a “Strong Wind Warning - Red” — the highest level — forecasting gusts of as strong as 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour in Wellington and the nearby Wairarapa region as well as the South Island region of Canterbury. That’s after winds hit 130 kilometers per hour in the capital city on Tuesday.

Air New Zealand suspended flights into Wellington while most services to the South Island city of Christchurch are also paused. Commuter trains and ferries across the Wellington harbor were canceled but Cook Strait crossings were still sailing.

Local media reported

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