Expect showers to linger around in Northland as work continues to fix damaged roads

Rain and strong south westerlies should start clearing this morning <note>Fri </note>around Northland after a low passes south. Photo / Tania Whyte

Showers will linger today and tomorrow once rain clears and strong southwesterlies should ease off this morning after periods of torrential rain across Northland.

A low from the north prompted MetService to yesterday issue an orange heavy rain warning and strong wind watch for Northland that were forecast to end early this morning.

Rainfall figures from the Northland Regional Council show the heaviest rain in the 24 hours to 5pm yesterday fell in Ngunguru at Dugmores Rock (27.5mm), Touwai at Weta (27mm), Glenbervie Forest (25.5mm) Whakapara at Puhipuhi (23mm until 4pm), Kaeo at Bramleys, Waitangi at Wiroa Rd 2, Waitangi at McDonald Rd and at the Bay of Islands Gold Club in Kerikeri (22.5mm),

Waiotemarama Gorge Rd in South Hokianga has been closed to all traffic by a major slip and is unlikely to reopen fully until early next month.

The road cuts inland through Waima Forest from Pakanae on the Twin Coast Discovery Highway (SH12) just before Ōpononi. It rejoins the highway just west of Waimamaku. The route bypasses Ōpononi, Ōmapere and the southern headland of Hokianga Harbour.

The slip, which began during Tuesday's heavy rains, has now undermined a significant section of road.

A temporary fix to the Far North's West Coast Rd, badly damaged in heavy rain this week is due to be completed by the end of today — just as more torrential rain is expected across the region.

The serious slump left the road too dangerous to use on Monday night.

The road closure cut off Panguru and settlements further west including Mitimiti and Rangi Pt.

A contractor works to repair a slump on West Coast Rd near Panguru in North Hokianga. Photo / FNDC

Urgent repairs on Tuesday reopened the road to traffic in one direction at a time.

A Far North District Council spokesman said as of yesterday morning, contractor Fulton Hogan had trucked in 180cu m of aggregate to repair the slump.

Once a damaged culvert was replaced, backfilling would return the road to two lanes.

The damaged section of West Coast Rd would remain unsealed at least until the summer construction season while engineers designed a permanent fix. A reduced speed limit would apply in the meantime.

Trains operated by the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust, which normally run daily in the school holidays, have been cancelled until further notice after the railway line east of Kawakawa was damaged by flooding.

Trust secretary Anne Leitch said the track in an area known as Farmers' Crossing, between Kawakawa and Taumarere, had started to slump.

Workers had added extra ballast to prevent a washout, and returned during yesterday's heavy rain to further shore up the tracks.

By noon on Wednesday, even before the latest downpour, MetService said Kerikeri had already recorded 236mm of rain in July so far, well above the 189mm average for the entire month.