Wild weather: Fierce winds topple trees, night-time deluge floods homes

Wild winds overnight have toppled trees and flooded homes. Image / MetService

Fire crews have spent the night clearing toppled trees from roads across the top of the North Island as wild winds and rain pummel the regions.

It's been a night of destruction as a cocktail of intense rain and gales ripped trees from the ground, blocking roads and downing powerlines. Deluges after dark also caused homeowners grief as flash floods spilled into properties.

This morning the wild weather has stopped ferries sailing on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf with commuters using buses instead.

And SH 2 is closed north of Paeroa, after a roof came down due to high winds, taking out power lines. SH 25 is closed between Tairua and Whitianga due to flooding at Wade Rd.

Fire and Emergency northern shift manager Craig Dally said crews armed with chainsaws were called to around 30 different spots between Auckland and Kaeo in the Far North over the space of six hours.

Calls started around 6.30pm and didn't let up until after midnight. Even as dawn broke, calls continued to come in from the Rodney District requesting help to move the downed trees off roads.

At least two households made calls for help after the intense rain saw floodwaters filling their homes, he said.

But at least 98 per cent of weather-related emergency calls were to do with downed trees.

MetService lead forecaster Michael Martenns said eastern parts of Auckland were lashed by gusts of up to 110km/h overnight while Northland had even stronger winds of up to 130km/h.

Kerikeri recorded 115mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, there'll be no let-up in the stormy weather for the next 24 hours.

MetService has issued a swathe of warnings and watches covering the top third of the North Island.

The intense rain is expected to continue today with downpours continuing to drench Northland down to Gisborne.

Strong winds will also batter Auckland this morning and Waikato until tonight.

GULF HARBOUR FERRY CANCELLATIONS - 6:15 AM

All Gulf Harbour ferry services will be run by bus replacements today, Thursday 16 July, due to forecasted weather conditions. pic.twitter.com/0mgplUieQl

— Auckland Transport (@AklTransport) July 15, 2020

Coromandel is bracing for a soaking, with up to 140mm of rain, and residents are being warned of the worst deluges after lunch.

Martenns said the rain had started in Coromandel before dawn and within the space of a few hours as much as 100mm had fallen in the ranges.

MetService issued a warning saying the heavy rain could cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips were also possible and driving conditions could become hazardous.