The Horowhenua District Council is pleading with residents to stop using water as the rain continues to be relentless in the lower North Island.
Video / Paul Williams
Horizons Regional Council has ruled out opening floodgates at Moutua, while the Horowhenua District Council is pleading with residents to stop using water as the rain continues to be relentless in the lower North Island.
Horizons says from about 10am, between 3mm and 5mm of rain is expected to fall each hour for the next few hours today.
Heavy rainfall has been battering the area since yesterday, when Fire and Emergency NZ began attending weather-related calls around 11.30am, and, by 4pm, crews had responded to six calls around Shannon, Foxton, Foxton Beach and Levin.
There was also heavy surface flooding on State Highway 1 in the same area yesterday, with 340mm of rain falling on the Tararua Ranges in a 30-hour period to 3pm on Sunday.
It saw some Levin residents taking a more fun approach to the atrocious conditions and getting their kayaks out to use around Piwakawaka St in Levin.
SH 56 at Opiki spillway remains closed today and anyone commuting through the region is asked to check Waka Kotahi NZTA's journey planner for any other road closures.
The weather is set to clear tomorrow but in the meantime poor conditions are set to pester the Lower North island.
Kayakers were the few who enjoyed the rising floodwaters in Levin's Piwakawaka Pl yesterday. Photo / Darryl Butler
Horizons acting river management group manager Craig Grant said opening the Moutoa floodgates was now unlikely.
Council gate crew would remain in place until at least later this afternoon as the council was aware of more predicted rainfall of approximately 3-5mm per hour for the next few hours.
The Manawatu River sits at the top of the Moutoa floodgates today. The river is expected to peak about 3pm today. Photo / Paul Williams
"The Manawatu River at Teacher's College peaked at 4.9 metres at 3am this morning. A secondary peak at this site is expected later today, but will be lower than this mornings.
"Modelling based on the most recent forecast shows that the Moutoa floodgates trigger point of 8.6 metres won't be reached.
"Hydraulic modelling shows the peak in about three hours' time will be close to 8.57 metres.
"Our aim is to maintain as much flow downstream as possible to keep channel capacity and ensure sediment disposition is minimised.
"Continuous monitoring of forecasts and modelling will occur throughout the day, however we are expecting to see river levels fall after lunchtime."
Stop banks, pump stations and monitoring gauges had performed well so far throughout the wet weather, Grant said.
Water is lapping the floodgates at Moutoa this morning. Photo / Paul Williams
Horowhenua District Council was this morning urging residents in Levin, Shannon and Tokomaru to avoid using water immediately as its water treatments were "struggling to effectively treat the muddy river water for our drinking water supplies".
"We're asking the community to rally together as a team to reduce water use.
"Council's Emergency Management Team are working in the background to contact businesses, schools and vulnerable residents," it implored on its Facebook page this morning.
