The death will be referred to the coroner.
Police asked people to take care in the current weather conditions.
“It could have been any of us who underestimate the wind,” Johnstone told RNZ.
“I don’t think we knew how windy it was up on the top of the hill, on the north-facing side until we got up there.
“We’ve seen close calls before, we’ve seen falling branches just miss people and we still underestimate it.”
A reporter at the scene said the winds were “ferocious” near the bank where the branch struck the man. A council staff member warned people not to go down the track where it’s happened because the strong wind is blowing against the trees and the branches “might fly off and kill you”.
Police and council staff have left the scene just before 1pm.
A person has died after being hit by a falling branch on Lookout Rd, Mount Victoria. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
“All that can be seen from the top of the bank is a safety cordon strung across the pathway further down the bank,” the reporter said.
“A broken tree can be seen between the lines of safety tape, but a police officer on the scene earlier could not confirm if that was the tree that had broken, delivering the fatal injuries.”
The public have been warned not to venture down to the walkway, which is surrounded by brittle, towering trees.
The Wellington City Council chief operating officer, James Roberts said there is continued risk across the city.
“With very, very high winds and gusting of over 90km, there is a risk of the trees losing branches, and that has happened this morning and there has been a fatality.
A man has died after a branch fell on him on Wellington’s Mount Victoria.
“While we have that alert from the MetService at the moment in Wellington for the high winds, try and keep out of the town belt and the green spaces, as much as you possibly can because it is dangerous.”
The Tararua District, Wairarapa, and Wellington are currently under an orange strong wind warning until 8pm tonight.
Severe gale gusting of 130km/h are expected in exposed places, MetService said.
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