Heavy rain around the region has caused wastewater overflows in Rotorua, including one at the treatment plant, and flooding.
A heavy rain warning for the Bay of Plenty remains in place through to 9pm and a heavy rain watch is also in place for Taupō.
A severe thunderstorm watch was also in place until midnight.
Earlier, roads in the Bay of Plenty town of Edgecumbe were closed due to "extensive" flooding.
At 2.41pm, Whakatane District Council called for people to avoid travel in the area where possible as waves from surface flooding were being pushed into people's properties.
An Edgecumbe resident, who would not be named, said flooding on Matai and Totara Sts was so high, it reached above the kerb and across the road.
It was "deep enough that I wouldn't drive through it".
The resident was driving to pick her daughter up from school and found people's yards soaked. She said she was concerned water lapping from passing vehicles would reach people's homes.
Rotorua Lakes Council said a wastewater overflow had occurred at the Wastewater Treatment Plant inlet pumps around 7.30am.
The overflow was caused by the significant amount of stormwater entering the wastewater network and temporarily exceeding the capacity of the plant to process it, the council said.
The wastewater, unable to be processed, overflowed into a nearby stormwater drain which leads to Lake Rotorua at Sulphur Bay. The council said the overflows were not the result of any equipment failure.
The overflow has stopped and sampling of the nearby stormwater network is under way.
Public health warning signs will also be placed near any public-access areas found to be affected.
❗ Eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne have been added to the Severe Thunderstorm Watch ❗
A wastewater overflow also occurred at a manhole on Victoria St this morning. Crews are on site to clean the affected area and public health warning signs will be placed near any public-access areas found to be affected.
Crews attend weather-related callouts and power outages
Glenholme resident Chris Parnell said it had been a "pretty stressful morning" after heavy rain overnight resulted in the downstairs level of his home flooding.
He described the flooding as "significant" with some household items and furnishings damaged. Parnell woke up in the middle of the night to find the backyard filling up with water.
Sandbags were used to stop water entering the Parnell residence in Glenholme this morning. Photo / Supplied
"It was like a pool out the back. It went right through into the bottom of the house. One of the rooms is carpeted and filled up with water. It is going to be a big clean up."
To make matters worse his family were isolating as a household member tested positive for Covid last week. Parnell said fire crews turned up to help this morning but by that time excess water had started to drain.
Rotorua Lakes Council said Fulton Hogan crews had attended numerous weather-related callouts up today.
This included flooding, streams flowing on to the road, overhanging trees and lifted manhole covers. Crews responded to a flooding job where a car was stuck at the intersection of Malfroy and Miller Rds at 6.37am.
UPDATE 11:00AM Traffic management is now in place on #SH5 and delays have started to ease. Please continue to drive with caution in the area. ^LB https://t.co/PcxtMQwY0Z
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) March 22, 2022
Seven Fulton Hogan crews were attending to calls as they came in, the council said.
The council urged residents to take care while driving as there was likely to be surface flooding, small washouts, tree falls and debris on the road. It's best to avoid swimming in rivers, streams, beaches and harbour areas for at least 48 hours after heavy rain.
There is likely to be contamination from rural and urban run-off in waterways after heavy rain.
To report weather-related issues contact the council on 07 348 4199
Meanwhile, State Highway 5 at Ohaaki between Rotorua and Taupō was blocked due to a slip and fallen trees. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said delays were expected.
A Fire and Emergency Northern Communications spokesman said crews had responded to about 15 flooding incidents at properties in central Rotorua this morning.
Crews from Rotorua, Ngongotahā and Mamaku were deployed to help pump water from properties where it was possible to do so, he said.
There were no evacuations, he said.
A MetService spokesman said Rotorua had 54.8mm of rainfall as of 8am with 25.2mm recorded at Tauranga Airport. 11.8mm of rain was recorded at Whakatane Airport.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council reserves and facilities manager Peter Watson said had been no "damage of significance" in the region.
A couple of beach accessways had been washed out at Waihī Beach and council staff were undertaking a site visit today to assess damage. The team would arrange for accessways to be reinstated once the weather and seas had settled, he said.
Tauranga City Council was forced to carry out emergency works to a pohutukawa tree on Turret Rd, concerned a cracked tree limb would not survive the wild weather.
Flooding on Ford Rd in Rotorua. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua schools affected by flooding
It's been a full-on morning for Rotorua Girls' High School students and staff dealing with flooding and power cuts.
Principal Sarah Davis said a large part of the school's admin block had flooded early this morning and carpet cleaners were working to suck out remaining moisture.
A building design fault, which she had been aware of for some time, also meant water was entering through the ceiling. Davis had bought herself a pair of purple flowery gumboots to ensure her feet stayed dry while at school, she said.
Drying up at Rotorua Girls' High School. Photo / Supplied
She said it was "less than ideal timing" as all students only returned back to school today after remote learning last week due to climbing Covid cases, however, she was pleased the classrooms had not been impacted by the heavy rain.
Rotorua Lakes Council staff were also working to drain surface flooding that had hit Rotorua Intermediate overnight.
Principal Garry De Thierry said there was "quite a bit of surface water" on the school grounds this morning however no internal water damage.
"The drainage infrastructure backs up and that impacts on the school. In the torrential rain we had overnight it just doesn't cope."
De Thierry also woke up to find the kitchen and sleep out had flooded in his own house this morning, but was waiting for things to dry out before assessing damage.
Flooding at Rotorua Boys' High School. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter said the school field flooded whenever there was "super heavy rainfall" but school was "open and all go".
"The boys enjoy Lake Raukura as it happens from time to time ... and it also means the fields will be well-watered and softened in readiness for the new rugby and football seasons."
Rotorua resident Josh Te Kowhai said Tarewa Rd was like driving through a river this morning with no visibility when it was pouring.
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In addition to the severe weather warning, there is also now a Severe...
Bay of Plenty Regional Council duty flood manager Mark Townsend said there had not been any "dramatic rise" in rivers this morning and levels would continue to increase steadily throughout the day.
More rain had fallen in the eastern catchments, he said.
"At this point we are not expecting that the rivers will reach a level that will cause any concern. This will be updated during the day."
Emergency Management Bay of Plenty spokeswoman Lisa Glass said the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's flood team was activated and monitoring overnight.
This work would continue throughout the day, she said.
Glass said at 1.30am they were notified of a first-level warning for Tauranga River. Just before 5am they received a first level warning for Waioeka River.
First-level warning means rivers had reached normal channel capacity.
"Reaching that first warning level doesn't mean those rivers will over-top their banks, but it is a sign that they have reached their normal capacity and of course there is more rain to come," Glass said.
She said residents along those rivers were sent alerts so they could move stock to higher ground.
You can see why our friends at MetService have issued a red warning. Our modelling indicates:
-Heavy rain into Thu AM
-For many, totals of 2-3+ times of what normally falls in all of March
Two road workers were trapped in a digger, roads were closed and hundreds were without power as Tairāwhiti Civil Defence declared a State of Emergency following flooding impacts from severe weather.
Potential for an extreme event
Severe weather warnings are classified as either orange or red depending on the expected severity and impact.
The warning for Bay of Plenty is currently at orange with downpours and significant flooding possible.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said there was potential for an upgrade to a red warning - reserved for the most extreme weather events.
"This has the potential to be an extreme event and people are urged to keep up to date with advice from MetService in case Bay of Plenty needs to be escalated to red warnings."
Ferris warned people to expect 150 to 230mm of rain, though some areas may see more.
A "persistent" large band of rain was likely to sit over the Bay of Plenty but he said the intensity may be less than the Auckland downpour on Monday that caused widespread flooding.
"It is fair to draw some parallels but it is not going to be one or two hours of rain. It is more likely to be a longer event, with the potential for high-intensity rainfalls."
Ferris urged people to prepare for potential flooding and remove valuable items from their garages.
Emergency Management Bay of Plenty spokeswoman Lisa Glass said it was important Bay of Plenty residents had an evacuation plan in place ahead of time.
She said people should prepare a grab-bag of essentials to take if they had to leave home urgently.
"You don't need to take the kitchen sink if you need to leave home - you just need to take something warm, something to eat, something to drink, your phone and all those basics," she said.
Glass also urged community members to check in on vulnerable friends and whānau who may need extra support or information.
SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS - 7:30AM Be prepared for hazardous driving conditions and surface flooding across the eastern Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions today. Remember to slow down, increase your following distance and keep your lights on. ^LB https://t.co/uqfT4v4P0t
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) March 22, 2022
Even people with Covid-19 should evacuate if needed, she said.
"Follow Covid protocols as much as possible, but don't let anything slow you down if you need to get out."
She urged people to prepare, take things as they come and avoid unnecessary panic.
"If everybody does their bit, and we all cross our fingers hopefully we will get through this without too much drama."
Rotorua Lakes Council said it was watching weather warnings and relevant teams were on standby to respond to any weather-related issues or emergencies.
The council urged motorists to take care on the roads as conditions could become hazardous.
Additional support crews from Fulton Hogan were also on standby.
During Monday's heavy rain, Tauranga City Council said it carries out checks when there is "significant rain" on the radar.
These include sending maintenance contractors to check sumps in areas known to flood.
Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty president Darryl Jensen said messaging had been sent to members to help them prepare for potential flooding.
A heavy rain watch for Auckland and Northland was due to be updated at 5pm today.
What to put in a grab bag
• Walking shoes, warm clothes, raincoat and hat • Water and snack food • Hand sanitiser • Phone and portable charger • Cash • Copies of important documents and photo identification • Medications, first aid kit, face covering or mask • Torch, radio and batteries
