- Widespread surface flooding has hit the Wellington region and motorists have been asked to avoid non-essential travel and work from home if they can.
- Trains on the Kāpiti Line have been replaced by buses between Plimmerton and Paekākāriki due to a landslide.
- Hutt Valley High School is closed today due to a burst water main. Judgeford Golf Club is closed until further notice due to flooding.
- MetService is expecting another 40mm of rain to fall across the region in the next six hours - the main concern being around high tide this afternoon.
A man and his dog have been rescued after their vehicle became stuck in rising floodwaters near Porirua this morning.
Heavy rain overnight has left parts of the Wellington region “significantly” flooded, and with more downpours forecast, people are being urged to “remain vigilant” and only travel if essential.
FENZ shift manager Belinda Beets says one traveller earlier today found himself caught out by the weather when his vehicle got stuck on a flooded Grays Rd in Pauatahanui.
He called for help but by the time firefighters were en route to the scene, a member of the public in a 4wD vehicle had rescued the man and his pet out of the car.
”I just think he was very lucky,” Beets said. “And good one, the person that stopped to help.”
The Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (WREMO) said there’s flooding in Porirua, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Featherston in Wairarapa with the heavy rain band now moving towards Kāpiti.
“Kāpiti Coast District Council are prepped and monitoring the situation”, said WREMO Regional Manager Jeremy Holmes.
He said people should delay travel or work from home if they can with the wild weather set to continue for the whole day.
“Remain vigilant and if you see flooding, please do not try to drive, walk or play in it. Keep an eye on the roads around the region and visit NZTA before you travel.”
The Kāpiti Coast District Council has established an incident management team to monitor the incoming deluge.
Emergency Operations Controller James Jefferson says the district has already experienced surface flooding in some areas this morning
”Our streams and rivers are rising, with high tide expected at 2.30pm. We’re working closely with Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) and Greater Wellington’s incident team who are fully focused on the evolving situation in the Kāpiti Coast.
”Our Council are responding to a number of service requests regarding stormwater blockages and surface flooding. The community are asked to be prepared for any change in the situation, particularly those who reside in low lying areas.”
Greater Wellington Regional Council said the Horokiri Stream has burst its banks prompting the closure of Battle Hill Farm Forest Park.
A local resident said the river at Waikanae Beach had also burst its banks.
MetService said Waikanae recorded 35.6mm of rain in the 3 hours between 8am and 11am and it was still raining “particularly heavily” around lunchtime.
The lower North Island’s been left saturated this morning with houses flooded, highways closed by both flooding and slips, a golf club underwater, a high school closed and trains suspended due to rockfall.
Police have described it as “awful out there” and are urging road users to take extra care and limit movements to essential travel.
NZTA Waka Kotahi said SH58 is now closed to westbound traffic (heading towards Paremata) between Joseph Banks Dr and James Cook Dr. The road, which has been affected by both flooding and slips, remains open to eastbound traffic.
SH2 near Petone is down to one northbound lane just prior to the Dowse Drive interchange, and cars have been removed from the Riverbank carpark in Lower Hutt - an area beside the Hutt River prone to flooding.
Porirua City Council said Paekākāriki Hill Road is closed due to a number of slips on the Kāpiti side, and Grays Road is also shut.
RNZ said a train travelling from Waikanae to Wellington was hit by rockfall earlier this morning. There are no reports of injuries, but passengers said they could hear the rocks hitting while going from Paekākāriki to Pukerua Bay on Monday morning.
Metlink said trains on the Kapiti Line have been replaced by buses between Plimmerton and Paekākāriki due to a landslide.
Trains are still running between Wellington and Plimmerton, and Paekākāriki and Waikanae.
In Naenae in Lower Hutt, Police have partially blocked off Cambridge Tce due to flooding across the entire road. A patrol car has blocked off northbound access.
Part of Strand Crescent is also fully flooded with water spilling onto some properties. A local woman said while the area does flood at times it normally does not cover the entire road.
One resident was surprised to open her front door and see the flooding out on the road. She said she heard the heavy rain overnight but hadn’t realised the street was filling up.
Some cars can be seen driving through the flood waters, sending waves into nearby properties.
A Hutt City Council spokesperson said they were continuing to monitor the Hutt River level (as it continues to rise) and rainfall forecast throughout the day and are ready to respond to any further developments.
Currently a number of roads are closed in Lower Hutt, including Block Rd near Melling Station, Harcourt Werry Drive between Mills St and Percy Cameron Street.
There’s also surface flooding on Eastern Hutt Road near the Silverstream rail bridge and people are being advised to avoid the area and find alternative routes.
The council’s also received reports of wastewater overflow in some locations, and is urging people to stay out of flood waters as they may contain wastewater.
Hutt Valley High School is closed today due to a burst water main. In a post on social media it said there was currently no water supply to the school.
Further north, the Judgeford Golf Club has been completely flooded and is closed until further notice.
In Porirua, officials met at 8:30am to discuss the situation with council, Fire and Emergency, and Wellington Water. A council spokesperson said Wellington Water was clearing culverts in Whitby and East Porirua and added Fire and Emergency was “inundated”.
They said MetService is expecting 40mm of rain in the region across the next six hours - the main concern being around high tide at 2.19pm, with potential worries about the Pauatahanui Inlet.
MetService said a Heavy Rain Warning is in place for Wellington and the Kapiti Coast with 50 to 70mm of rain expected in the 12 hours until 6pm Monday. Thunderstorms are also possible, with peak rainfall rates of 15 to 25mm/h.
The weather agency said streams and rivers may rise rapidly and the rain could cause surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions.
A number of bus services across the region have also been affected by the weather.
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.
