Auckland Emergency Management sends weather warning alert to Aucklanders’ phones

Authorities have sent an emergency alert to Aucklanders about the rain - 48 hours after the city was hit by devastating floods.

Smartphone users across Tāmaki Makaurau were pinged with the alert.

It read:

Auckland Emergency Management has issued an Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA) to provide important safety messages ahead of the potential for extremely heavy rain to hit the Auckland region.

MetService has issued an orange heavy rain warning due to an active line of thunderstorms currently sitting over the Hauraki Gulf.

Between now and 7am tomorrow (Monday), this line of thunderstorms could produce localised downpours of 50-90mm of rainfall.

The possibility of localised extreme downpours up to 150mm cannot be ruled out, with the larger totals likely north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Auckland Emergency Management Controller Mace Ward says, “Given recent rainfall, the ground is extremely saturated which changes how rainfall can affect the environment. The decision to issue this alert was made so people in the region can make the best decisions of how to remain safe, should this heavy rain eventuate.”

People in the area between Ōrewa/Waiwera and down to Papakura/Drury, from coast to coast including Aotea Great Barrier Island are advised to:

• Make sure you stay informed. Watch the forecast at metservice.com
• Avoid unnecessary travel. Check road conditions if you have to travel.
• Floods and flash floods can happen quickly. Act immediately if you see rising water – do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and stay away from flood water.
• Check aem.org.nz for updates and information. Listen to emergency services and self-evacuate if you feel unsafe.
• If life is in danger, call 111 immediately.

Any further updates will be posted to the Auckland Emergency Management social media channels.

Emergency Mobile Alert issued for possible localised downpours in Auckland overnight https://t.co/WC9nDleX66

— Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) (@AucklandCDEM) January 29, 2023

A “significant” northeasterly rain and gale system is expected from the north in coming days and there’s potential for more slips and flooding.

Tomorrow will be a brief reprieve for Aucklanders to clean up, assess damage and clear gutters and drains in preparation for another major weather event arriving on Tuesday and Wednesday, Metservice’s Georgina Griffiths said in an Auckland Emergency Management briefing.

Griffiths said the timing for this weather event is not yet firm and more details will be available in the coming hours.

More than 5000 properties across 25 suburbs need some level of damage assessment. Around 150 assessors are on the ground between Wellsford and Pukekohe.