Health advice ahead of severe weather due to hit Canterbury this afternoon

Cyclone Gita is currently moving southeast across the upper and central South Island and the lower North Island, as predicted. Severe gale force winds and heavy rain are expected to hit Canterbury this afternoon (Tuesday 20 Feb) and continue into Wednesday.

People needing to access healthcare in the Canterbury DHB area should attend outpatient and other scheduled, hospital-based appointments as they normally would - providing it’s safe to go out and the roads are clear.

If you need to access unplanned non-urgent care (for sudden illness or injury), call your usual GP number first for advice 24/7 and if you have, or want to make, an appointment - to check that they are open.

Urgent and emergency services will operate as normal. Call 111 in an emergency.

Other health and wellbeing-related advice:

Check home emergency kits, and emergency plans - make sure your family know what to do if they are stranded at school or work, and the arrangements if a school was to close.

Ensure you have an emergency supply of water (3ltrs/person/day) and food supplies and have an alternative means of cooking and for boiling water in case of power outages.

Check you have enough of any essential medication and standard first aid items including common over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol.

Tidy up loose material on your section, tie down the trampoline, store outdoor furniture, clear gutters and ensure there is nothing lying around that might fly up and hurt someone or cause damage to property. Consider removing tree branches that might cause problems.

Check-in on vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours.

Stay informed. Here are some useful websites that will help you do that:

Weather updates

Christchurch City Council News

Journey planning and road closures, Canterbury

Canterbury DHB

In case power, internet or cellphone towers are down you should have a battery radio handy, with spare batteries, tuned into a news site.