Northland not out of the woods yet, weather boffins say

Northlanders should brace for more rain and squally winds this week as more fronts move across the region. Photo / John Stone

Recent heavy rain is just a prelude of more wind and heavy showers throughout Northland, including possible thunder and hail storms as more fronts hover over the region.

Up to 80mm of rain fell in places over 24 hours while winds gusting at 124km/h were recorded in Cape Reinga and 75km/h in Kaitaia late Tuesday and into yesterday morning.Northland Regional Council weather stations recorded the highest rain of 88mm in Whakapara, just north of Whangārei, 68mm in Waitangi, and 66mm in Hatea at Glenbervie Forest in the 24 hours to 1am yesterday. The heaviest rain fell at different times in the main centres in Northland overnight Tuesday, according to MetService.

Duty forecaster Larissa Marintchenko said very unsettled weather was in store for Northland today and for the rest of the week due to the presence of more fronts.

"The embedded trough will bring heavy showers mostly to the west coast but because it will be heavy, it could impact everywhere in Northland.

"There could be squally thunderstorms with hail during the day on Thursday and on Friday, there's the possibility of thunderstorms, heavy showers and heavy winds."

Marintchenko said the stormy weather would start to ease off on Saturday but more showers were expected on Sunday. Gusts of 85km/h were expected, she said.

However, the mercury will rise to between 18C and 20C during the day and drop to around 12C overnight this week.

In Whangārei, three roads that were partially or completely blocked yesterday morning were re-opened by 2pm.

A tree fell on Russell Rd, near Helena Bay, while a slip was reported on Wright Rd.

Whangārei District Council contractors put up signs warning motorists of flooding on Whananaki South Rd.

Water levels at Whau Valley Dam and Wilsons Dam are at 100 per cent and WDC water services manager Andrew Venmore said the council was in a good position heading into summer.

"Whau Valley Dam is designed to take a one in a 30,000-year event without topping over and so not only are our dams at a healthy level, groundwater levels are in a good shape so the rivers should be flowing well going forward."

Venmore said with the new Hatea water line expected to be operating by the end of September and the fact Whangārei has had more rain so far this year than it did the whole of 2019 augured well heading into the summer months.

In the mid north, flooded roads stopped Clarks Coachlines in Kawakawa from picking up 10 Bay of Islands College students who live in Karetu and Waikare areas yesterday morning. Company owner Perry Clark said a combination of flooding and high tide made the roads impassable. However, his buses got through on the Waiomio Valley and Rawhiti routes despite surface flooding but Clark said continuous rain late yesterday and today may cut off commuters.

Roads in Waiomio, Matawaia, Maromaku, Moerewa, Karetu and Waikare were prone to flooding, he said.

A yacht was badly damaged when it washed up on a Paihia beach during Tuesday night's high winds.

This yacht was damaged when it washed up in Paihia during Tuesday night's high winds. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Yesterday, the 8m yacht was hard up against a rock sea wall between Kings and School Rds, roughly opposite St Paul's Church. The hull had been damaged and the mast had been torn from its mount and buckled.

Northland harbourmaster Jim Lyle said the small fibreglass yacht had been washed off a mooring on to the rocks. The damage included a cracked hull.

Regional council staff secured the vessel until the owner arrived from Auckland on Wednesday afternoon to start organising the salvage.

Another boat, on a swing mooring at Ōpua, was taking on water so was towed to shore by council staff early Wednesday morning before it sank.

Federated Farmers Northland acting dairy chairman Matt Long said it was typical winter weather when wet conditions made work on the farm difficult.

"There's enough feed although we're scratching a little bit and hoping for good spring. More sunlight and not too little and not too much rain."

Geoff Crawford, a farmer in flood-prone Hikurangi Swamp, said the rain on Tuesday night wasn't enough to inundate farms with water unlike the stormy weather a month ago.

"We had a drought at the end of May, beginning of June and a huge amount of rain has fallen since but it's getting to average rainfall so it's evening out. I think we're in a good position heading into summer than we were last year," he said.