Motorists surge through flash flooding in Greenlane Auckland. Video / Eva Wilson
Santa and his rock n’ roll friends have glided through a gap in Auckland’s fickle weather to delight fans across the city as three major concerts take place in the city.
Thunderstorms rumbled above as heavy rain drenched central Auckland just before 6pm, with flash flooding trapping the occupants of two vehicles on the Southern Motorway at Ellerslie and Epsom, and water entering homes and businesses from Herne Bay to Greenlane. A railway line was also closed by flooding.
The wild weather rolled across the city a little more than 90 minutes before three major events were scheduled, Christmas in the Park, a Jack Johnson concert at Western Springs and Guns N’ Roses at Eden Park - where those arriving could be seen wearing ponchos and bin liners to protect them from the elements.
But a Christmas in the Park attendee said the rain at the Auckland Domain event stopped just before the show began.
“It’s calm, thousands here now,” they said just before 9pm.
And at Guns N’ Roses a few kilometres away, the skies had cleared as the band blasted Welcome to the Jungle before Slashunleashed his best performance of the night with a solo at the end of Live and Let Die, a concert-goer said.
By 9pm virtually all in the stadium were on their feet as the retro rockers played their hit single Sweet Child O’ Mine.
Earlier, a city train line was closed after water flowed over tracks, and Fire and Emergency were alerted to more than 20 calls and alarm activations between 5.18pm and 6.25pm, a spokeswoman said.
All Onehunga Line services were suspended and Southern Line services forced to operate via the Eastern Line, because of flooding on the tracks between Penrose and Newmarket, Auckland Transport tweeted, warning users to expect delays and cancellations.
As of 6.45pm services had resumed on the Southern Line between Britomart and Otāhūhū in both directions.
“Services on the Onehunga Line are replaced by bus due to surface flooding on the tracks near Penrose. Expect ongoing delays due to the severe weather across Tāmaki Makaurau.”
MetService issued heavy rain and thunderstorm watches for Auckland and a large swathe of the northern and central North Island, as well as Southland and Otago, this afternoon. The thunderstorm watch for parts of Northland, Waikato, central North Island, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa is through to 10pm, with a heavy rain watch to 3pm tomorrow.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for Auckland, with 300,000 people expected to be moving around the city as Guns N’ Roses performed at Eden Park, pro-surfer turned hitmaker Jack Johnson played at Western Springs and a slew of entertainers gathered at Christmas in the Park in Auckland’s Domain.
A Herald photographer at the Domain said many people were “camping out in their cars” ahead of the event.
Police were alerted to flooding in Epsom, Ponsonby and Mt Eden, and there was water on both sides of the road in Brentwood Ave in Mt Eden, a police spokeswoman said at 6pm.
Torrential rain is hitting Auckland, as this image on Mountain Rd near Auckland Domain shows. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Southland was also hit by thunderstorms and flooding this afternoon.
About seven central and eastern Southland homes and businesses called for help to pump out flooded properties, the Fire and Emergency spokeswoman said.
“Thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain and large hail,” MetService said in its warning.
“Torrential rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.
“Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, and make driving conditions hazardous.”
A wet Christmas in the Park is no problem for the properly attired. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
People were advised to take shelter, secure any loose objects and drive to the conditions.
MetService said scattered thunderstorms were expected from Northland to Manawatū and northern Wairarapa until about 10pm and some could be severe with localised downpours of 20-40mm/h and hail.
Auckland was expecting a busy Saturday, and police warned people to make sure their plans included getting home safely.
Tens of thousands of people were expected to descend on the city centre to attend the Guns N’ Roses and Jack Johnson concerts - as well as Christmas in the Park.
