This long Waitangi weekend weather is forecast to be partly cloudy with some showers likely, but nothing like Monday night and last Friday’s deluges. Photo / Alex Burton
This long Waitangi weekend weather is forecast to be partly cloudy with some showers likely, but nothing like Monday night and last Friday’s deluges. Photo / Alex Burton
After a devastating week of unprecedented rain, sun-starved Aucklanders can finally glimpse some fairer weather.
“Very definitely the worst is over in Auckland,” MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker said.
It will be welcome news for a sodden city after a week of deadly downpours.
The long Waitangi weekend weather is forecast to be partly cloudy with some showers likely, but nothing like Monday night and last Friday’s deluges.
“Auckland will be considerably better this weekend, a few spots of rain around, but nothing like what has been seen,” Bakker said.
The finer forecast comes after Auckland’s state of emergency was extended another seven days because the city was still responding to the crisis, Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) said.
Mayor Wayne Brown announced the extension yesterday afternoon - and conceded he had “dropped the ball” in response to flooding around the city.
Workers clean up a slip on West End Rd in Herne Bay after storms and flooding over the weekend in Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton
And in the hard-hit Coromandel, Thames-Coromandel District mayor Len Salt declared a “pre-emptive” state of emergency at 1.35pm yesterday because of the potential for further slips.
He said people shouldn’t travel to or around the Coromandel because of the state of the region’s roads.
“We strongly discourage anyone from travelling around the district unless necessary,” Salt said.
State Highway 25A between Kopu and Hikuai remained closed because of a full collapse, and traffic on SH25 is slower, with lanes closed and temporarily lower speed limits because of the weather’s impacts.
Heavy falls in Auckland have already given way to bouts of sunshine and lighter showers in the past few days, though more rain yesterday caused more surface flooding.
All weather warnings for the upper North Island have since lapsed, with only a heavy rain watch remaining for Mt Taranaki yesterday and an orange heavy rain warning for Westland until tomorrow night.
State Highway 25a on the Coromandel Peninsula has completely collapsed near the summit after heavy rain caused widespread slips and damage across the upper North Island. Photo / Waka Kotahi
About 15mm of rain fell in the 12 hours to 3pm yesterday, Bakker said, a relief compared with the 245mm that fell last Friday.
Despite the relatively low rainfall, Bakker said, there was still concern about “where that water will go” given the city was already soaked.
“It’s like trying to fill up a bucket that’s already full,” he said.
AEM controller Rachel Kelleher said people should keep an eye on weather forecasts and road conditions for the long weekend.
“We still have a number of roads throughout the region that have closures or partial closures in place,” she said.
Flash floods could happen quickly and people should not wait for official warnings before heading to safety, she said.
Auckland Council chief executive Jim Stabback urged continuing caution.
“We know it’s been a tough week for so many Aucklanders, and many people will understandably be looking forward to getting outdoors and enjoying some return to normalcy,” he said.
”However, we urge people to continue to use caution and stay safe over Waitangi weekend, particularly around our storm-affected beaches and parks.”
There have now been 232 houses red-stickered and 1294 given a yellow sticker of the more than 4000 houses which have been assessed across the city, said the council’s manager for building consents, Ian McCormick.
A police officer places a red sticker on a house on Shore Rd, Remuera. By yesterday, 232 houses had been red-stickered across Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton
Health authorities said there was a risk of a diarrhoea and vomiting outbreak across Auckland as people come into contact with sewage-contaminated floodwater.
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand medical officer of health Dr Jay Harrower said public health agencies hadn’t seen an uptick in sickness yet, but an increase in gastroenteritis was possible.
“[Gastroenteritis] can be serious for those who are very young, very old, or have underlying medical conditions,” Harrower said.
“If you develop symptoms that could be gastroenteritis and need health advice, contact your doctor or call Healthline for free any time.”
Swimming at Auckland’s beaches is still unsafe, as sewage and debris pose a risk to health.
Kelleher of AEM said houses and waterlogged belongings could be contaminated and people should wear protective gear and wash their hands after touching anything.
Residents of Dryden St in Grey Lynn clean up after last weekend's storms and flooding. Photo / Alex Burton
People needing help sorting through flood-damaged items should contact AEM.
Five community support hubs remained open around the city and an emergency relief fund to support people facing flood-related hardship had been set up.
Kelleher said access to emergency powers was still necessary, which is why the state of emergency needed to be extended.
“We are still seeing some landslip activity happening even today,” Kelleher said yesterday.
AEM was trying to comprehend and record the full extent of slips across the region.
A major slip on Paturoa Rd at Titirangi Beach in Auckland.
Auckland Transport’s Stacey Van der Putten said the key message was still to make sure everyone checked their website for the latest travel information.
AT has reopened more than 60 roads since last Friday and has about 500 maintenance staff across the network. She said 1867 vehicles had been towed so far.
Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) has received almost 3500 calls from around the upper North Island since last Friday.
There were 2321 weather-related calls in Auckland over the week, which fell to eight calls over the past day.
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown leaves the West Harbour Fire Station after fronting the media in relation to the worst flooding the Auckland region has ever experienced. Photo / Dean Purcell
“While we respond to emergencies all the time, the weather incident was significant, affecting our operations and our people personally,” Fenz Te Hiku region manager Ron Devlin said.
Meanwhile, mayor Brown acknowledged he “made mistakes” in his response to the deluge.
“I was too slow to be seen. The communications weren’t fast enough, including mine. I am sorry.
