Debris covers the road to Glenorchy just outside Queenstown on Friday after the region's wettest 24-hour period in 24 years. Photo / George Heard
Debris covers the road to Glenorchy just outside Queenstown on Friday after the region's wettest 24-hour period in 24 years. Photo / George Heard
It’s the North Island’s turn to be lashed with heavy rain this weekend after the front that battered the South Island this week moves up the country.
Queenstown and parts of Southland, meanwhile, are hoping the rain stays away as residents clear up after record downpours brought flooding.
For the North Island, MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor says the heaviest rain is expected in the second half of today and tomorrow morning, likely disrupting travel on what was expected to be a busy weekend on the road with the beginning of school holidays.
“Significant and widespread impacts are possible,” she said.
The first of heavy rain for the North Island was expected to begin around 4am today in Wellington, Kāpiti Coast and Wairarapa south of Featherston, before moving further north.
A raft of heavy rain watches are expected to come into effect for the Tararua Ranges, Taranaki, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taihape, Whanganui and Taupō on Saturday and remain throughout the weekend.
The Far North will welcome some heavy rain from around 9pm today, night, with additional watches and warnings possible over the coming days. Rain is expected to douse Auckland throughout the day, with heavy falls forecast close to midnight.
Weatherwatch.co.nz said the rain is trapped between two very powerful high-pressure zones and one of those highs is also feeding in tropical air this weekend to the rain.
Eastern Bay of Plenty and Tairāwhiti looked to be the most exposed to rain heavy enough to cause slips and localised flooding, the forecaster said.
🚨Early rain estimates for eastern #BayOfPlenty look significant this weekend. At sea level totals of 150 - 200mm over 3 days are possible. Totals in the hills & ranges may be 200mm - 300mm.
Its modelling showed more than 200mm of rain was expected to fall in the eastern region between now and Tuesday.
By Sunday night, the front moves to the northeast of the North Island and becomes slow-moving.
Slash debris thrusts Queenstown into state of emergency
Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers told NewstalkZB this morning the worst of the weather is likely past and so long as the “rain stays away”, residents and emergency teams can get on with the clean-up.
Queenstown recorded its wettest 24-hour period in 24 years, leading Lewers to declare a state of emergency for the region at 6.33am on Friday.
It followed a state of emergency being declared across Southland on Thursday night as the region was battered by severe weather.
In Queenstown, 87mm fell from 9am Thursday to 9am Friday, Niwa said.
Heavy rain caused slips in the tourism town of Queenstown. Photo / George Heard
Landslides and high floodwaters threatened some Queenstown homes and some residents had to be rescued from their cars overnight on Thursday.
Up to 20 homes were evacuated and more than 100 people sought refuge overnight at the evacuation centre, the council said.
On Saturday morning, Lewers said there were probably about a dozen homes that still cannot be occupied.
He said his team is waiting for “clarification from the engineers” about the houses before letting residents back in.
The clean-up of debris is now under way on Brecon and Reavers Sts, with the Queenstown council contractors pitching in along with teams from the Skyline tourism company, Lewers said.
Yesterday Lewers said forestry slash was responsible for the damage that had led to the state of emergency being declared.
Queenstown councillor Matt Wong spoke of the “mess” on Queenstown’s Brecon St, where footage captured slash debris washing through and blocking roads.
“It looks like it happened about midnight. There was significant flooding that really brought the debris in through the township,” he told The Hits Southern Lakes Breakfast.
A nearby cemetery appeared to have taken the brunt of the slip, Wong said. Logs and slash were scattered throughout the site.
“I’ve never seen it like this in all my life. There’s going to be some difficult questions asked.”
Emergency services were kept busy in Queenstown, helping residents deal with flooding and landslides. Photo / James Allan
The damage forced schools around central businesses to shut their doors yesterday, on the eve of school holidays.
The centrally located medical centre was also out of action.
Flooding and debris flowed down Brecon St towards the town centre, causing damage and requiring evacuations from multiple properties on Reavers Lane, Fryer St and Hamilton Rd. Multiple roads were closed throughout the Queenstown town centre and around the district.
Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) staff were called to a home in Fernhill after reports a landslide was threatening a house at 7.51pm on Thursday. Upon arrival, it was found the residents had already evacuated and there was extensive flooding around the home.
Nearby, Fenz crews were called to a landslide behind a property in Reavers Lane, Queenstown, at 7.33pm. The occupants of four homes evacuated on advice from the crews.
Another crew was sent to Glenorchy-Queenstown Rd at 7.13pm after a landslide trapped a car. One person was rescued uninjured.
The council said 68 people had been evacuated from the Brecon St area and 41 evacuated from the Reavers Lane area because of flooding and debris pouring down the central city roads.
