Heavy rain warning lifted for Northland

Northland Regional Council's Kāeo webcam at 8am on Thursday shows water lapping State Highway 10. Photo / NRC webcam

A heavy rain warning has been lifted for Northland after earlier forecasts suggested more rain was expected until midday.

Meteorologist John Law said Far North areas were some of the worst hit last night with Karikari receiving 127mm of rain, Kāeo 109mm and Kerikeri 64mm from 8pm to 8am overnight.

Northland Civil Defence spokesman Zach Woods told Morning Report officials were keeping a close eye on things and expected some flooding, particularly on roads.

Rain was lingering in the east of the Far North and surface flooding was expected, Woods said.

There were no reports of homes at risk, but people should call 111 if they had concerns, he said.

“The river levels are high and some continuing to rise, so there are a few locations around there where we are likely to see some surface flooding, especially around roads.

“So the likes of Kaeo, around the Waimate North area, Taipa, Mangōnui, and even some of the areas to the western side of State Highway 1.”

Road closures could still happen and people travelling should expect delays, Woods said.

The wet ground also meant a risk of slips, he said.

“We’ll definitely be keeping a really close eye on it.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said Mangōnui volunteer fire brigade attended a distress call from a Cable Bay resident who reported gas bottles floating away in floodwaters.

Earlier, RNZ reported that Whangaroa College in Kāeo was closed for safety reasons.

“Please keep yourselves safe and avoid any unnecessary travel,” the school posted on its Facebook page.

Kāeo School was also closed.

“The buses are unable to run and so school is closed today. Please stay safe and dry,” it said on Facebook.

Taipa Area School was open on Thursday but said there were no school buses operating in Karikari, Peria or Taupō Bay due to flooding.

Kāeo School principal Paul Barker told Morning Report the rain last night was “pretty awful”.

“It’s a little bit scary in our part of the world.

“We haven’t had any rain, any real rain, since December. This is kind of what tends to happen – we go from filling our water tanks at school to me looking at them today, they’re slightly overflowing.”

Law said the cause of the heavy and prolonged rains for the Far North was due to the slow movement of two weather systems.

There is no warning for Whangārei and Dargaville, where 10mm and 4mm of rain was registered overnight.

A Civil Defence social media post said Far North rivers were at high levels with some continuing to rise.

Kaeo, Waimate North, Taipā, Mangōnui, and State Highway 1 at Larmer Rd in Kaitāia are areas to be wary of.