Flooding signs have been placed on Elstree Ave in Glen Innes overnight following heavy rain. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Flooding signs have been placed on Elstree Ave in Glen Innes overnight following heavy rain. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Heavy rain caused widespread surface flooding on Auckland roads overnight, and a severe thunderstorm watch has been extended through to this morning’s rush hour commute.
The rain came from a sprawling low-pressure system that’s delivered days of messy winter weather, and likely has more rain and showers in store for the country this week, according to MetService forecaster Aidan Pyselman.
Last night downpours in the Far North led to flooding at a campground in the township of Kaeo, where Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) said blocked drains had caused flooding to “multiple properties”.
Property owners advised they would deal with the problem and Fenz left shortly after.
Heavy rain in Auckland overnight also caused minor surface flooding around the city, mostly thanks to blocked drains, although Fenz had not dealt with any more weather-related jobs overnight.
Heavy rain caused surface flooding in parts of Auckland overnight including on Elstree Ave in Glen Innes. Photo / Hayden Woodward
The weather system was involved in active weather about the country late on Sunday, which prompted MetService to advise of potential overnight severe thunderstorms and torrential downpours in the north.
Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Gisborne are under severe thunderstorm watches until 7am today, while a heavy rain watch remains in force in Gisborne until 9am, according to the MetService website.
MetService warned last night of potential severe thunderstorms in multiple regions. Image / MetService
Pyselman said the slow-moving low, currently draped across most of the Tasman Sea, had been behind rainy conditions around the country over the past few days and was forecast to linger through much of the working week.
“Right now, it basically it encompasses the whole of the Tasman Sea - its western flank is affecting the New South Wales coast - so it’s a big unit.”
On Tuesday, the front was forecast to accompany a weak trough stretching over northern regions, bringing showery weather to centres including Auckland and Whangārei.
Added to that mix was a ridge of high pressure sitting to the south, which was expected to direct a strong, moist easterly flow over southern and central New Zealand on Tuesday and Wednesday.
That came with the potential for showers or rain in eastern regions, along with possible southeast gales to exposed places.
Snow was also forecast for the Canterbury High Country and southeastern parts of Marlborough, which MetService said could affect some high roads.
Later in the week, Pyselman said the ridge was likely to begin moving away, enabling the Tasman low to potentially shift eastward and back toward New Zealand.
“At the end of the week, we might yet see something more out of that, but it’s still a long way away.”After a slew of watches and warnings issued at the weekend, Pyselman said there at least didn’t appear to be further severe weather on the cards for this week.
Around the North Island, the forecast also didn’t point to any freezing winter temperatures over the next few days.
Auckland was forecast to hit a relatively mild high of 18C on Monday and Tuesday, with overnight lows dipping only just into the single digits on Monday, Thursday and Friday.
Daytime highs in the mid-teens were similarly forecast for Hamilton, Tauranga and Whangārei.
“The next day or two do look above-average – especially over the North Island – and after that, we’re talking ho-hum average temperatures for this time of year.”
