By GREGG WYCHERLEY and SCOTT INGLIS
Auckland was lashed by torrential rain for three hours yesterday, flooding the southern motorway up to the bonnets of cars and reducing the rush hour drive home to chaos.
The region's emergency and council services were strained, responding to pleas for help as the rain
caused widespread flooding and havoc in peak-hour traffic.
Raw sewage flowed into North Shore streams and beaches from overflowing pumping stations. Officials planned to put up pollution warning signs on most beaches for today.
The cause was a rain belt moving south over the North Island, which dumped about 60mm of rain over the Auckland region in the 24 hours to 7 pm. That is more than half Auckland's average rainfall for the month of May. Whangaparaoa had 30mm of rain between 4 and 5 pm, and Mangere 22.4mm between 6 and 7 pm.
A heavy rain warning has been issued for Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty today, where rain can be expected until this afternoon.
Transit New Zealand reported that the entire motorway system was affected, and numerous minor car accidents added to the chaos.
One of the biggest headaches came near Market Rd on the Southern Motorway, where water reached car bonnet level about 6 pm, bringing traffic to a halt.
A blocked stormwater drain was believed to have been responsible and contractors were called in to deal with the problem.
Broken-down vehicles littered the sides of the motorway as firefighters raced to houses - mainly on the North Shore - to pump out flooded homes and shops.
By 7 pm traffic was flowing north, but southbound traffic was reduced to two lanes. There were also problems between Otahuhu and Mt Wellington and near Ellerslie on the Southern Motorway.
A spate of accidents near the Newton Rd off-ramp on the Northwestern Motorway about 7 pm also caused traffic hold-ups.
Dozens of residents rang the Fire Service and various councils asking for help after they had been flooded.
One, Michelle Powrie, of Onewa Rd on the North Shore, told the Herald that she came home at 4.30 pm to find she had been flooded for the third time in a year.
The 26-year-old sales account manager's house had up to 30cm of water in its laundry and garage. She put towels down, trying to prevent it moving into her two bedrooms.
The flooding was caused by a protected pohutukawa tree, which she says has damaged and affected drains around her house.
For two hours, she frantically tried to bucket out the water but, in tears, lost the battle and called the Fire Service. "My back is killing me. For two hours ... I did not stop ... I got hysterical."
Mike Hiskens, of Beach Rd, was also flooded. He has been flooded so many times that he cannot get insurance cover for it.
Several Housing New Zealand pensioner homes in Greenslade Cres, Northcote, were also flooded.
One of the residents, Thelma Roe, said the rainwater had saturated her home. "I'm pretty upset."
Metservice spokesman Bob McDavitt said that as it was autumn, problems would have been compounded by people not having cleared drains or gutters.
Herald Online Weather
Current Special Weather Bulletin
By GREGG WYCHERLEY and SCOTT INGLIS
Auckland was lashed by torrential rain for three hours yesterday, flooding the southern motorway up to the bonnets of cars and reducing the rush hour drive home to chaos.
The region's emergency and council services were strained, responding to pleas for help as the rain
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.