Heavy rain has caused a large landslip on Cluny Road, Plimmerton. Photo / Supplied.
Heavy rain has caused a large landslip on Cluny Road, Plimmerton. Photo / Supplied.
Wellington has just experienced its second wettest day on record as Cyclone Dovi brings torrential downpours and gale-force winds to the capital.
Police are urging those in the lower North Island to stay home unless they absolutely must travel today, with the weather causing evacuations, closing roads, bringing down landslips and trees and leading to widespread flooding.
Wellington City Council has described the situation this morning as "extremely busy" with contractors racing from one job to another. They've been called to more than 45 jobs since yesterday afternoon, ranging from flooded garages to overflowing sewer mains, dancing manhole covers to downed trees.
One call-out to Albermarle Rd in Northland describes "water shooting up in the air like a geyser".
The council has made the decision to close the Southern Landfill for the day due to slips and flooding.
MetService said in the 24 hours to 9am today, the weather station at Kelburn recorded 127.2mm of rain, making it the second wettest day since records began.
The wettest day on record was in 1939, 83 years ago, when 152.4mm of rain was recorded.
Wellington Airport also recorded its second wettest day - 116.1mm - since records began there in 1960.
There had been more than 130 weather-related callouts overnight across the North Island.
MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said the worst was still to come, with Cyclone Dovi expected to make landfall between mid and late morning.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Belinda Beets says the most severe callouts of the 50 attended by central fire crews related to landslides that caused problems for property owners.
She says firefighters were mainly pumping water out from people's homes and making sure people were safe.
A Houghton Bay home was damaged by a landslide, while another came down against a house and across a road in Plimmerton, with several other houses evacuated as a precaution.
A large slip came down across three lanes of SH2 (Western Hutt Road), Korokoro in Lower Hutt just before 12.30am. The Northbound lanes are blocked and diversions are in place. The occupants of a house at the top of the slip were evacuated.
Slip blocking Durham Crescent in Aro Valley. Photo / Supplied.
In Wairarapa a man called Emergency Services around 3.30am after his vehicle became trapped in deep water flooding Kokotau Rd in Carterton. The man was able to get out of the vehicle and was not hurt. The road is now closed.
Two other roads have also been closed - a slip has closed State Highway 58 between Paremata and Haywards near Wellington. The slip was reported around 1.16am.
Wellington City Council said it had also received reports of the roads in Makara/Ohariu Valley being blocked due to flooding.
The Waihenga Bridge, between Featherston and Martinborough on State Highway 53 in Wairarapa, has been closed until further notice due to rising water levels, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has reported.
Protesters braving wet conditions during the anti-vax, anti-mandate and anti-Government protest and occupation at Parliament in Wellington. 13 February, 2022. NZ Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell
Flights are also being affected at Wellington Airport due to the strong winds, combined with an Airways technical issue.
Seventeen flights into the capital from other parts of the country have been cancelled.
A passenger on flight JQ287 says their flight was meant to land in Wellington at 7.40am but turned around and flew back to Christchurch.
They say there were 10 people on board carrying camping gear and signage meant for the anti-mandate protest at Parliament.
Kapiti trains are replaced by bus between Porirua and Waikanae due to a track obstruction with train services operating between Wellington and Porirua.
Latest models last night put the cyclone, which started as a tropical low between Vanuatu and New Caledonia this week, on track to make landfall between New Plymouth and Kāwhia Harbour sometime this morning, before moving eastward across the North Island.
It's no longer tropical, but will still pack a punch and sparked wind and rain warnings from Auckland to the upper South Island last night, MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said.
"This is an evolving situation so I think the message for everybody is just to keep an eye on our forecasts and just take heed from what the local authorities are saying."
Bellam said a miserable day is in store for those camped out on Parliament's lawn, entering their sixth day of protest action.
A police officer hands a protestor's sign back to them after it was blown out of their hands. Photo / Supplied
"We do well with big [weather] events in Wellington. And that's the story [today]. We've got rain with heavy falls, gale southerlies gusting 110km/h and a forecast maximum temperature of 17C … it'll feel colder though with that rain and wind."
The wind is making life difficult for protesters camped at Parliament, with the frame of one marquee sitting in the centre of the camp, completely mangled.
Other tents are at risk of flying off, and protesters have had signs ripped from their hands and blown across the forecourt - where police have been retrieving them for them.
