All Wednesday sailings of the Interislander ferries have been cancelled because of predicted severe weather in Cook Strait, with 7.5 metre high waves expected.

The last ferry to sail from Wellington will leave at 8.30pm today, with the return sailing departing from Picton at 2.30am Wednesday morning.

At this stage sailings are expected to resume at 6.30am on Thursday.

“We regret the inconvenience to our customers. We are always striving to deliver the best possible service, but safety is paramount,” Interislander General Manager Operations Mark Thompson says.