Tauranga City Council drainage services manager Radleigh Cairns said there were no issues related to flooding or the stormwater network. Cairns said drainage and roading contractors did heavy rain checklists at the end of last week to prepare for the weather.
A truck driver, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a State Highway 2 passing lane in the Karangahake Gorge was blocked by a fallen tree just before 6am.
A shipping container truck stopped in front of it.
The driver also said there was a slip near Mackaytown, near the gorge.
He said it did not appear “too serious” but it had sent soil and small rocks across the road, he said.
The rain and wind are not over yet, according to forecasters, as the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Lola sweep across the country, leaving flooding and widespread damage in its wake.
In the Tauranga suburb of Tauriko, 44 properties lost power just before 3am as the wild weather moved down the country.
Another 68 properties in Paeroa also lost power last night, according to Powerco, and on the Coromandel Peninsula more than 20 properties are still in the dark, mostly in Coromandel Forest Park.
Flooding has receded sufficiently for SH25 between Tairua and Hikuai to reopen, Waka Kotahi said.
An orange heavy rain warning remained in place for Bay of Plenty, west of Matatā including Rotorua until 7pm tonight. The region can expect a further 70 to 100mm of rain to accumulate on top of what has already fallen.
Thames-Coromandel District Council emergency and crisis manager Garry Towler said this morning the weather was causing issues with the roads on both sides of the peninsula.
He said there was a slip on SH25 at Ruamahunga Bay and a crew would be arriving soon.
The flooding at Hikuai between Whangamatā and Whitianga had not subsided overnight and high tide was due soon.
He told RNZ there was another full day of rain ahead, “close to 450mm for this event”, and advised residents to “hunker down, avoid travel and ride this thing out.”
A section of State Highway 25 between Tairua and Hikuai remains closed due to flooding, with high tide due soon.
Waka Kotahi said contractors would be reassessing the situation this morning and would look to reopen the road as soon as it was safe to do so.
Coromandel Town residents have been asked to conserve water for approximately the next 24 to 48 hours.
The council said the heavy rain yesterday and overnight had caused the stream it draws water from to carry a heavy sediment load. This meant the water treatment plant had to be shut off at times or process at a much slower rate due to the additional sediment in the water.
“If residents can be mindful of their water use at this time, it would be much appreciated.”
A water tanker would be set up in Coromandel Town for residents to use should water supply be affected.
The widespread rainfall from the low will have subsided by Wednesday, but the North Island and upper South Island, particularly inland areas, can still anticipate showers, some of which could be thunderous and heavy. The next low-pressure system and its related fronts will sweep across the country on Thursday and Friday, bringing rain.
This week’s forecast calls for warm weather. Most areas will see temperatures in the upper teens to mid-20s, with today and Wednesday looking to be the warmest.
