Precautionary evacuations were under way in Ngongotahā yesterday due to fears of rising stream levels. Video / Aleyna Martinez, Olivia Sanson, Supplied
Further heavy rain, strong wind gusts and thunderstorms are set to bash the North Island today after severe weather caused evacuations and mass power outages yesterday.
A slow-moving low-pressure system continues to cross over the North Island, bringing vast amounts of moisture and rain in eastern parts of the country.
“It’s going to be a very wet next few days,” said MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane.
Rain is forecast to continue in the east of both islands today, adding further to mass rainfall that has already smashed Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Christchurch.
Makgabutlane said it was shaping up to be a “cloudy, murky” day in the eastern South Island today, accompanied by rain and drizzle in places.
Swathe of warnings, watches in place, thunderstorms tipped in North Island
Orange heavy rain warnings remain in effect for Hawke’s Bay, the Tararua District and Wairarapa on Wednesday morning, with residents told to expect anywhere between 130 to 200mm of rain on top of what has already fallen.
The warning for Hawke’s Bay, south of State Highway 5, would remain in effect to 6am on Thursday, whereas the warning for the Tararua District and Wairarapa is expected to lapse at 3pm today.
A heavy rain watch is in place for the Kaikōura Ranges, with periods of heavy rain and amounts possibly reaching warning criteria until 3pm today.
Meanwhile a strong wind watch in force over North Taranaki, Wellington and the Horowhenua-Kāpiti Coast is set to commence at midday today, but southerly winds may approach severe gales in exposed places until then.
🟠🌧️ Severe Weather Update Heavy Rain Warnings for Hawke's Bay The Tararua District and Wairarapa
🟡 🌧️Heavy Rain Watch Tairawhiti/Gisborne
Heavy rain is set to linger around the east coast on into Thursday, especially for Hawke's Bay pic.twitter.com/BlTj4ra4cR
“There is a possibility those [heavy rain warnings and watches] could be extended,” Makgabutlane said.
The low-pressure system is tipped to moved eastwards across Auckland or northern Waikato early this morning, combining will cool temperatures, keeping conditions “unstable”, MetService says.
There’s a low risk of thunderstorms during the morning for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato and Waitomo, with a moderate risk before dawn for Northland and Auckland.
MetService warned these thunderstorms may be accompanied by localised heavy rain with intensities of 10 to 25mm per hour and strong wind gusts of 90 km/h, if they occur.
There is also a low risk of thunderstorms about Gisborne and northern Hawke’s Bay this morning and moderate risk this afternoon.
Flooding around the country sparks evacuations, emergency call-outs
Both the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua Lakes Council advised residents to self-evacuate yesterday due to stream levels rising.
Torrential downpours caused the Ngongotahā Stream to rise, peaking at 5.39 metres at 10.35am on Tuesday, Bay of Plenty Regional Council said.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said five crews attended Western Rd in Rotorua, providing help to those self-evacuting. Residents on the road were given the all-clear to return to their homes at 2pm, but were advised to remain alert.
Police praised the actions of two lines company workers who saved a motorist stuck in rising floodwaters, south of Rotorua yesterday. Photo / NZ Police
Bay of Plenty Civil Defence had warned residents to prepare to evacuate. “This is not a declared state of emergency, but we are closely monitoring the situation to do whatever is needed to keep people safe,” the agency said on social media.
Select students from Tolaga Bay Area School were sent home due to a risk their bus route could become flooded.
📊 How much rain has fallen?
🌧 These are the stations that recorded the most in the past 24 hours as heavy rain moved across northeastern parts of the North Island.
❗ Note that much of this rain came in short intense downpours amidst steadier moderate rain. Rainfall rates… pic.twitter.com/p1Y1j4WWfo
There was widespread flooding across the country yesterday, with streets underwater in Christchurch and waterfalls cascading down stands at the Rotorua speedway track.
An East Auckland resident said roads there were “transformed into a raging torrent”, cars were submerged and homes were damaged in Monday night’s downpours.
Firefighters dealt with at least 70 weather-related jobs overnight Monday in the north of the country after a series of severe weather advisories were issued for the North Island.
The Hawke’s Bay township of Wairoa was warned to conserve water yesterday afternoon after its wastewater system became overwhelmed with rain. An almost 60km stretch of SH2 from Wairoa to Bartletts also closed for two hours yesterday afternoon due to flooding.
Flooding on Western Rd in Rotorua caused precautionary evacuations yesterday.
Torrential downpours hit parts of Auckland and Coromandel overnight Monday, bringing “damaging” amounts of rain to some spots, according to MetService.
Forecaster Niwa reported northern parts of Auckland experienced “near-record” rainfall.
In the 24 hours from Monday morning in Leigh, 130.4 mm of rainfall was observed by Niwa. This was the third wettest day in Leigh during May since at least 1967.
❗️Near record rainfall was observed in the northern parts of the Auckland region last night❗️
In the 24 hours since Monday morning, 130.4 mm was observed at our Leigh climate station.
This is the 3rd wettest day in Leigh during the month of May since at least 1967. pic.twitter.com/dn9ZhAloZc
Between 9pm and 10pm on Monday, 82mm of rain was recorded, nearly equal to the average May rainfall amount in Leigh, at 93mm.
“Increased short-duration, high-intensity rainfall events are consistent with our expectations with climate change,” Niwa said.
About 970 households across the Bay of Plenty region lost power on Monday night due to extreme weather including high winds, lightning strikes and rain, a Powerco spokesperson said.
