King Charles III has sent his “deepest condolences” to New Zealand following the deadly flooding.
A popular swimming pool facility in West Auckland is out of action for at least a month after suffering flood damage.
West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre has announced that its swimming pools - including the main pool, dive well, hydrotherapy pool, learn, wave and toddler pools - are allclosed until March 5, at least.
The centre’s spas, sauna and steam rooms are also closed until the same date at this stage.
It comes after preliminary assessments of the centre’s plant rooms were carried out.
Those plant rooms, which contain the pool circulation and filtration equipment needed to treat pool water, were damaged by flooding on Friday.
Cars negotiate surface flooding on Universal Drive in Henderson as heavy rain hit Auckland on Friday. Photo / Hayden Woodward
A notice was sent out that the damage was affecting power and water to the facility; meaning the centre was unable to open the next day.
The facility is on Alderman Drive, in Henderson, where the Waikumete Stream runs behind the pool and leisure centre.
The area and many parts of the suburb were left inundated with floodwaters, as heavy rain resulted in flooding in properties and leaving some vehicles nearly submerged.
Contractors have been on site throughout the long weekend and this week to assess exactly how much damage has been caused.
The facility’s other services, including the connecting recreation centre, remain open to the public.
Meanwhile, at least two other pool and leisure facilities owned by the Auckland Council are out of action due to being turned into hubs to support communities affected by the recent weather bomb.
The Birkenhead Pool and Leisure Centre is closed for two weeks and will act as a community information hub for families affected by flooding on the North Shore.
In Māngere, South Auckland, the Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa pool and leisure centre is now also a space for the local community affected by flooding.
It will be a hub for the community until further notice.
