Cook Strait ferries cancelled as huge swells batter Wellington

Several Cook Strait ferries have been cancelled as heavy swells batter the Wellington coastline this morning.

Interislander have announced all of its morning Aratere and Kaiarahi sailings have been cancelled as well as the 2.15pm sailing from Picton.

"The swells in Cook Strait remain around 5m and we have made the decision to cancel 6:15 am and 8:45 am Aratere and Kaiarahi sailings today.Safety of our passenger and crew is our key priority," Interislander said.

"This means that the 11:00 am and 2:15 pm sailings from Picton are also cancelled."

Passengers will receive a full refund although Interislander said passengers would not be able to be moved to other sailings as they were all fully booked.

Meanwhile, all Bluebridge ferries up until 2pm have also been cancelled. Those who wish to arrange an alternative sailing are urged to contact Bluebridge, however, they warn they are heavily booked and may not be able to rebook sailings "for a few weeks".

"Sailings are likely to resume on Wednesday evening, but please be aware that further cancellations may occur if the weather remains severe longer than forecast. If so, all customers will be notified at the earliest possible opportunity," Bluebridge said.

Further south, hundreds of Banks Peninsula residents are without power due to strong winds.

Orion, the power provider for the area, say it's unlikely power is restored until late afternoon.