Steel beams making up the structure of a building set to be the new home for the Foreign Affairs Ministry have collapsed.
The central Wellington building on Molesworth St is set to open next year and provide office space for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) and other businesses.
Photos seen by RNZ show structure beams on the building have fallen.
A spokesperson for developer Precinct Properties said severe weather was believed to have caused some damage.
Gale force winds in the capital over the past 24 hours have also cancelled dozens of flights and taken roofs off some properties.
Fire and Emergency said it had sent firefighters to three places where building or roof materials were reportedly lifting in the wind, and there were two callouts for low-hanging powerlines or telephone lines.
A taxi driver reported seeing cyclists blown off their bikes by wind gusts in Evans Bay, near the airport.
Around 350 households were reported to be without power in the Wellington region on Friday morning, but that had since been restored.
Meanwhile, people preparing to travel over the Labour Weekend were advised to leave early, with bad weather on the way.
The upper South Island and lower North will be hit hardest on Saturday, though few places nationwide will be spared, MetService said yesterday.
rnz.co.nz
