Downpour and gales leave trail of damage

Sophie Prendergast, 14 (left), and Jessica Krowley, 14, added an umbrella to their shopping when the wind blew this one apart in central Auckland yesterday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Rain and high winds lashed the North Island yesterday, causing slips which left trees, boulders and other debris strewn across main highways in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay.

Further south, Wairarapa, Wellington, Taranaki and Wanganui also had high rainfall and strong winds, but there were no reports of road closures or major property damage caused by flooding in those regions.

The rain and wind warning issued by MetService late on Saturday caught many by surprise, as a fine weekend had been forecast for the country as late as Thursday evening.

MetService said a rapidly deepening low pressure system from the subtropics contained "unseasonably heavy bursts of rain".

MetService ambassador Bob McDavitt said several factors led to the sudden deterioration in the weather, which left rivers swollen and paddocks sodden yesterday.

A "bombing low" was the consequence of a jet stream which formed over New Caledonia, he said.

The "river of faster-moving air in the upper levels" combined with some messy troughs that formed over the Tasman Sea on Saturday.

"We didn't end up with an easy weather map. We had multi-centred lows, which meant it was a bit of a shambles. It didn't come together nicely like a jigsaw."

The weather would ease today and tomorrow, said Mr McDavitt. Showers were expected over the North Island, followed by "beautifully sunny" skies on Wednesday.

The South Island could expect snow from Otago to Marlborough over the next couple of days.

MetService predicted that a cold front would move on to lower areas of the South Island, bringing snow to 500m today.

Yesterday's chaos:

AUCKLAND/NORTHLAND

A slip early in the morning blocked the southbound lane of SH1 north of Kawakawa, near a dangerous bend. A digger helped to clear the road of debris, which included four large trees, by mid-afternoon.

At Dairy Flat, flooding closed Sunnyside Rd and Green Rd, and an unstable pine tree threatened the Coatesville-Riverhead Rd at Kumeu.

A slip threatened to block a one-lane bridge on Doctors Hill, Ruakaka, but council workmen cleared it. Flooding made driving treacherous at Wellsford and Mangawhai.

On the North Shore and at Pakuranga, traffic lights went out causing traffic snarl-ups.

Northland farmer Anton Schedewy was up early helping a neighbouring farmer rescue stock from flooded paddocks on Wayby Rd, just east of Wellsford. Mr Schedewy said about 60 cattle were trapped by the flooding. It was the worst flooding he'd seen in the area for about five years. Many roads were impassible for most of the day.

WAIKATO

High winds, debris and flooding on SH26 near Morrinsville led police to issue a warning to motorists. The Waikato, Waipa, Waihou and Waitoa river levels threatened Environment Waikato's early warning flood-trigger points. One lane of SH2 through the Karangahake Gorge was blocked when large boulders fell on to it. West of Huntly, Rotowaro Rd was flooded, and a slip blocked SH3's northbound lane south of Otorohanga.

BAY OF PLENTY

High rainfall on the Tauranga side of the Kaimai Ranges made driving treacherous on SH29, and flooding at the Kowhai Bridge was reported.

COROMANDEL

State Highway 25A between Kopu and Hikuai was closed for a short time to clear the road of wreckage left by a car crash. A Thames police spokesman said motorists were not adjusting their driving to the wet conditions.

Within 24 hours, 203mm of rain fell in the Kauaeranga catchment at the Pinnacles on the Coromandel. Police reported slips on Whangapoua Rd, near Coromandel town. The 309 Rd connecting Thames and Whitianga was covered in debris after a large slip.

South of Whitianga, road surface flooding on SH25 was more than half a metre deep and for a time was passable only by four-wheel-drives. Flooding affected Cooks Beach.

BAY OF PLENTY/EAST COAST

Warnings were issued for SH35 between Ruatoria and Te Puia Springs and Tikitiki and Ruatoria.

A land slip reduced traffic to one lane on SH2 between Matawai and Te Karaka.

NATIONAL PARK

Mt Ruapehu's ski slopes and chairlifts at Turoa and Whakapapa were closed by high winds and poor visibility, leaving 10,000 potential customers disappointed.

Whakapapa marketing manager Tim Wilkinson said the silver lining was fresh snow for later in the week.