Owhiro Bay residents are preparing for the worst this morning as six metre high swells batter Wellington's south coast.
The worst waves are predicted to hit in about an hour - as high tide reaches its peak at 8.30am.
Wellington Region Emergency Management Office says this could be as bad as the 2013 Matariki storm.
That saw more than 30,000 homes lose power and hundreds of emergency calls for help were made in a six-hour period.
Owhiro Bay residents Chris Loveday and Eugene Doyle spoke to Corin Dann.
