Rough seas at Mount Maunganui. Photo / Mead Norton
So much rain has fallen on an already-sodden Bay of Plenty this week, springs thought to be “non-existent” for years have burst through banks and a campground owner has described this summer as the worst in 19 years.
But some say there are silver linings despite the impacts of ex-Cyclone Hale, which brought heavy rain and strong winds to the region yesterday.
Already the amount of rainfall in Tauranga is five times more than what it was in the first 10 days of 2022, while a wet Rotorua has recorded 76mm so far this year compared with virtually none for the same period last year.
Drivers were told to take care and lifeguards warned people to stay clear of beaches once more as ex-Cyclone Hale began to bear down on the region at the beginning of the week.
Strong winds batted the region yesterday, with a warning in place between 1pm and 8pm, and winds expected to gust up to 120km/h in eastern Bay of Plenty.
MetService meteorologist Peter Little said it would be wet for a few days longer.
As of midday yesterday, Waihī Beach had seen the most rain in the region with 33mm falling from the night before, when the rain began.
By comparison, Rotorua recorded about 1.8mm, while Tauranga Airport had about 14mm.
Since January 1, 119mm of rain has been recorded in Tauranga, which compared to 22.2mm for the same period the year before.
In Rotorua, there had been 76mm of rain compared to 0.5mm last year.
“Clearly, it’s a lot wetter.”
Little said a La Niña event that was driving tropical systems our way from the north-east this summer, making it easier for the likes of ex-Cyclone Hale to reach the region.
The moisture that came with it meant it was wetter than normal. But the Bay had seen better weather than neighbouring areas such as Coromandel and Gisborne, which had sheltered the Bay of Plenty, he said.
The weather was expected to become more settled after ex-Cyclone Hale left.
Today, winds would switch direction and come more from the southwest, meaning it was likely to be showery.
The next few days would be “reasonably good”, with some showers expected on Friday and into the weekend, Little said.
But the rainfall was yet to surpass that of January, 2011, when 424mm fell that month in Rotorua, and 349mm in Tauranga - the wettest January on record for both.
It was expected there would be 400mm of rain in the Thames Coromandel area just yesterday, making ex-Cyclone Hale a likely one-in-20-year storm event.
Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty president Brent Mountfort said working with the weather was part of being a farmer, even through the extremes - whether that be drought conditions in recent years, or the drenching happening now.
This brought challenges such as community accessibility, slips and erosion. It became a barrier to doing work such as shearing, he said.
Mountfort had only been able to shear 170 ewes before the bad weather set in. He had another 500, plus lambs, still to do - which were “usually done and dusted by now”.
Springs that had been “non-existent” for years had rejuvenated and burst through banks, and he said those farming in low-lying land were most impacted by the accumulation of rainfall.
“It’s been a disaster.”
There was no making hay while the sun shines because there was no sun, so Mountfort took the opportunity to have a break in Whangamatā knowing his animals had water, shade and plenty of food.
Eastern Bay of Plenty Surf Life Saving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said on Monday the intensity of the storm, which was expected to be “short and sharp” before it dissipated, should not be underestimated.
“I expected the Bay of Plenty to be hit hard as we know from previous incidents that strong surges which come up the beach are strong enough to knock people off their feet and suck them out to sea pretty fast,” Gibbons-Campbell said.
MetService’s surf forecast showed at Tay St wave height was expected to reach up to 4m last night, but this was expected to reduce today. It forecast 2m high waves by 10am.
At least 50 surfers could be made out at Mount Maunganui’s main beach yesterday with one, who would not be named, saying the size of the waves and swell were “still doable for experienced surfers”.
“Rip current warning signs are like a magnet for surfers as we like to ride the rips out to get to the cleaner, bigger waves out the back.”
Tauranga Bridge Marina owner Tony Arnold said many boaties had come in for shelter to avoid “their boats washed up on the beach”.
“It’s very gnarly at the moment, so we are all pretty much battened down until we have more certainty about the cyclone’s movements, but we are bracing ourselves for stronger winds and there is probably a lot of rain around as well,” Arnold said.
Despite the weather, Rotorua’s All Seasons Holiday Park manager Tracie Thornborough said this summer was “busy as anything” - busier than it had been in 15 years.
She said the park’s indoor heated pool was a drawcard in wetter weather and she said some of the guests who arrived yesterday had travelled down from Coromandel.
“They would have been stuck there for two days otherwise,” Thornborough said.
It was a different story for Tasman Holiday Park Beach Haven at Waihī Beach, where manager Sandra Crouch said this summer was the worst she had experienced in her 19 years in New Zealand.
It had been horrendous, Crouch said.
Cancellations had been coming in since the bad weather began and the campsite had flooded with all the rain. Drains were not coping and surface flooding covered the grass.
However, Crouch said her guests remained upbeat and the bookings at the park’s cabins were going well.
”People want solid walls, roofs over their heads and heaters. Our three brand new hot tubs and sauna are getting some good use.”
Coromandel was one of the regions hardest hit by ex-Cyclone Hale, with widespread surface flooding, slips, storm surge, road closures, and power outages.
In Gisborne, the council was warning residents in low-lying areas near the Hikuwai River to “prepare to evacuate” yesterday afternoon.
Bay of Plenty Civil Defence’s Emergency Management Group advised people to make sure they had up-to-date information before they travel.
The Western Bay of Plenty District Council advised people to secure trampolines and branches or firewood that could become missiles in strong winds.
The Tauranga City Council’s city waters director Wally Potts said a heavy rain checklist was made prior to any predicted rain event and was performed again at the end of the event, predominantly for inlets and outlets with a history of being blocked by debris in a storm.
“We are carrying out all our usual checks for when there’s significant rain on the radar, including sending our maintenance contractor to check sumps in areas known to flood with heavy rainfall,” Potts said.
The Rotorua Lakes Council’s infrastructure networks performance manager Eric Cawte said staff and contractors were taking the usual precautions.
While there was no heavy rain warning in place for Rotorua, contractors were checking that stormwater drains and culverts were clear of blockages, ensuring wastewater ponds could cope in case of excessive flow, and that equipment was fully operational.
“Staff and generators are on standby in case of power cuts to essential facilities caused by high winds or the potential for excessive rain and flooding,” Cawte said.
“Take extreme care on all roads throughout the district as strong winds could result in tree fall, damage to powerlines and debris on our roads.”
Toi Te Ora Public Health advice was to avoid swimming in rivers, streams, beaches, and harbours for 48 hours after heavy rain as there would likely be contamination from rural and urban run-off in waterways.
This was to avoid illnesses such as diarrhoea, vomiting, skin infections, or ear infections.
- Additional reporting Maryana Garcia and Sandra Conchie
The van was stolen in April and found on White St in Whitianga last week, police say.