Mysterious lights seen in the skies above Wanganui

There have been multiple reports of strange orange lights in the sky above Westmere on Christmas night.

A woman from Springvale was arriving home at 10pm when the light first appeared.

"I had just got out of my car and looked down the driveway when I saw the light."

She said there was no noise as it came towards her. The light was travelling at the speed and height of a plane and flew overhead as it continued southwest, she said.

She expected the light to head toward Wanganui airport, but it turned east instead and disappeared into clouds. The lights were reported in Taranaki, Napier, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch. A Kapiti Coast resident has posted footage on YouTube of three lights emerging from behind the Paekakariki Hill.

The Springvale woman said the orange lights could not be lanterns because they were not flickering.

"I don't believe in UFOs, but I would like to know what I saw."