State Highway 35 closed between Maraenui and Omaio

Metservice has issued heavy rain warnings for Coromandel and Bay of Plenty from Te Puke westward, for 27 hours from 3am Saturday to 6am Sunday.

State Highway 35 remains closed between Maraenui and Omaio and is unlikely to reopen today due to a large number of slips.

Waka Kotahi contractors are working tirelessly to clear multiple slips. The detour is via State Highway 2 Waioeka Gorge.

In a statement yesterday, Waka Kotahi said the Bay of Plenty and the East Coast in particular, had experienced significant rainfall, coastal surges and strong winds this year, all of which put pressure on a roading network that was already more vulnerable due to unstable geology.

NZTA said driving conditions could be hazardous so people should only drive if essential.

"If you must head out, please take extra care when driving, watch for hazards, adjust your speed and check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website before heading off for information on which routes are affected by recent bad weather."

Ōpōtiki District Council is asking people to avoid the unnecessary discharge of wastewater as its wastewater pump stations have become inundated with stormwater.

In a Facebook post the council said this was having an effect on some household bathrooms and toilets.

It asked people to avoid flushing toilets unnecessarily.

It has provided portaloos for those that are having issues with their wastewater at the Rawinia Rangi Reserve (the old Rose Garden playground).

Meanwhile, police are reminding motorists to drive to the conditions in the Rotorua area due to bad weather.

There is a slip on State Highway 5, Ngongotaha Valley, and surface flooding across the area.

Metservice has issued heavy rain warnings for Coromandel and Bay of Plenty from Te Puke westward, for 27 hours from 3am Saturday to 6am Sunday.

Between 100mm and 130mm of rain is expected, peaking at 10mm to 20mm per hour.

A similar "orange" warning is in place for Bay of Plenty, east of Te Puke and Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay, for 24 hours from Friday with up to 170mm expected, MetService predicts.

The highest rates of rainfall will be in the ranges east of Whakatāne, meteorologists believe.

According to police, driving to the conditions means increasing your following distance because it takes longer to stop in the rain, taking care while on the road, delaying unnecessary travel, using headlights and slowing down.

SH35 OMAIO, BAY OF PLENTY - SLIP - 8:05AM
The road remains CLOSED between Opotiki to Te Araroa since 3:10am, due to a slip. Please avoid the area and consider detouring via SH2 and allow extra time for your journey. ^AP pic.twitter.com/dzAfBjTH1r

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) September 30, 2022