Motorists were trapped on the Kaimai Range as heavy rain pelted the Bay of Plenty, causing flooding, slips and dozens of emergency callouts this evening.
Rivers were rising towards warning levels, farmers were being told to move stock to higher ground and power was out in places with more thunderstorms and rain to come.
A state of emergency was declared in Auckland this afternoon and MetService said at 4.30pm the heaviest rain from the front was moving east across the Bay of Plenty region.
MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said about 7pm that Rotorua had received 95.8mm of rain since midnight, and Tauranga 50.7mm. The heaviest rain was between 4pm and 5pm, when 45mm fell in Rotorua and 29.2mm in Tauranga. Whakatāne could get 20mm overnight on top of what had already fallen.
An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the Bay of Plenty until 3am Wednesday, with a severe thunderstorm watch due to lift at 11pm Tuesday.
Fire and Emergency NZ received 48 weather-related calls in the Bay of Plenty from 4pm to 6pm. Of these, 22 were in the Tauranga area and 15 were in the Rotorua area.
Rotorua recorded more than 20mm of rain between 3pm and 4pm, with more to come, and the Rotorua Lakes Council had more than 20 reports of flooding, trees down and slips by 5.30pm.
In Tauranga and the Western Bay, power outages have been reported and roads were gridlocked as commuters tried to navigate surface flooding, slips and closures.
Police and Bay of Plenty Civil Defence are asking people to stay off the roads if possible, with weather-related blockages and diversions around the region.
About 6pm, Emergency Management Bay of Plenty Civil Defence duty controller Cara Gordon advised people to keep an eye on rolling MetService weather updates, stay home and “be as prepared as possible”.
If safe, people should tie down loose items that could be picked up by wind, clear gutters and prepare for power outages.
Roading updates from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Bay of Plenty Civil Defence said the following highways were impacted by the weather this evening:
Motorist Jade Wade told the Bay of Plenty Times about 5.45pm she had been stuck on State Highway 29 on the Kaimai Range for more than an hour.
Wade became trapped between a washout of rocks and mud and a large slip at McLaren Falls Rd.
While waiting, Wade saw a photo of Poripori Rd where she lived with what looked to be a large, flooded hole in it.
Wade, still trapped, said no one had yet been able to tell her anything “but I’m in a long line”.
”I’m fine, just not sure how I’ll get home.”
Tauranga City Council was looking into reports of flooding on Maleme St, while Cambridge Rd was closed due to a slip.
In Rotorua, a section of Edmund Rd was among those closed due to flooding. According to updates on the Rotorua Lakes Council website, crews were responding to more than 20 callouts and were expecting to work through the night.
Power was cut to 1080 properties in Tauriko at 5.15pm and Powerco estimates it will be restored around 9.30pm. There were also unplanned powers cuts in Bethlehem at 4.50pm and Greerton at 5.34pm, with site investigations under way.
Bethlehem resident John Ward said he was eating dinner by candlelight after seeing a “big flash” before power went out earlier this evening.
Ward said he had been without power since about 5pm after what appeared to be a slip near Moffat Rd and Cambridge Rd that took out a power pole.
”My wife was in the lounge and suddenly there was a big flash. We thought it was lightning.”
The power went out instantly, he said.
”Looking around our area there are no house lights or street lights on. We are all in darkness.”
A 5pm update from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council said rivers were rising and would continue to do so for the next 24 hours.
There were “no immediate concerns”, but “major rivers” including the Whakatāne, Rangitāiki, Kaituna, Waioeka and Otara Rivers were expected to reach the first warning level tomorrow morning.
“We’re notifying landowners in affected areas of this early (via our text messaging service) to ensure stock can be moved from low-lying areas.”
Several rivers could reach warning level 2 by the end of tomorrow, meaning the water would be higher than the river channel but still within either a floodway or stopbank.
The Matahina Dam would also be spilled to ease pressure on the lower Rangitāiki River.
An active front was expected to bring “very heavy rain with possible thunderstorms” to the region this afternoon and evening, MetService said earlier.
The orange heavy rain warning for the Coromandel Peninsula is in place until midnight.
“Some of these thunderstorms may become severe, producing localised torrential rain in excess of 40mm/h, damaging wind gusts of greater than 110km/h, and a slight chance of a damaging tornado,” MetService said in an updated forecast this afternoon.
A state of local emergency has been declared in Auckland as flooding swamps the region.
Bay of Plenty Emergency Management public information manager Lisa Glass earlier said they had not activated any emergency operation centres, however, it was keeping “a very close eye” on the weather.
“People will know their local area. They will know which creeks swell up quickly, which sections of cliff are prone to slip, and which bits of road get cut off.
“All the places that are always a bit tricky, they’re going to be tricky again … those are the places we’ll be keeping an eye on.”
Glass said the rain itself was not the concern, but the fact that it was on top of a week of heavy rain and the accumulation effect it had on the less absorbent grounds and already high rivers.
She said trees and cliffs were also less stable given the amount of water already in the ground.
“Everything’s just a little bit more vulnerable and unpredictable.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council duty flood manager Peter Blackwood said river levels were already rising with the already “very saturated” ground.
“With the current and predicted weather incoming, we anticipate this will continue over the next 24 hours.”
Manawa Energy were continuing to reduce water levels in the Matahina Dam to help ease pressure on the lower Rangitāiki River.
Blackwood said the regional council’s flood room was monitoring the situation and providing real-time information to supporting agencies such as Bay of Plenty Civil Defence, local councils and Waka Kotahi to assist with their planning and responding to their communities.
Rotorua Lakes Council staff and contractors are undertaking the usual checks and preparations ahead of expected weather.
It asked residents to clear their drains at home, have an emergency preparedness and evacuation plan, check on the elderly or vulnerable and keep an eye on the latest weather updates.
It also urged residents near waterways to stay alert and be prepared to evacuate if needed.
“Residents living near waterways such as the Ngongotahā Stream are encouraged to stay alert to rising water levels and as a precaution, to be prepared to evacuate if that were to become necessary.”
The council said land around the district was already saturated due to the rain over the past week which may contribute to flooding, slips, or fallen trees during this period of heavy rain.
“Residents are urged to be aware and prepared to act if necessary. Drivers are asked to take care on the roads as surface flooding and slips are possible and driving conditions may become hazardous, and only drive if necessary.
To report any weather-related issues or if you need assistance, please contact Rotorua Lakes Council on 07 348 4199.
Tauranga City Council Civil Defence duty controller Sarah Omundsen said it was monitoring the weather situation and are ready to respond if needed.
It was carrying out all of the usual checks at the moment. If residents need to report an issue they can call the council’s contact centre at any time on 07 577 7000.
Bay of Plenty Civil Defence said slips, fallen trees and flooding were “a real possibility” following the amounts of recent rain.
“There is nowhere really for more rain to drain away, so please take extreme care on the roads and keep an eye on flood-prone and slip-prone areas.”
It urged people to make sure phones were fully charged in case of power outages, and to use the car radio if they didn’t have a battery-powered radio.
It said that all councils in the region were keeping a close eye on roads, surface flooding, and unstable land, and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council would be monitoring river levels and stop banks.
Rotorua Lakes Council asked that any issues and hazards were reported to the council on 07 348 4199.
Whakatāne District Council warned Eastern Bay of Plenty residents slips continued to come down across the rohe due to the ground saturated from last week’s events.
“If you live or work near cliffs and steep slopes (escarpments) keep an eye out for any instability.
“This includes movements of trees or the slope, cracks in the earth, ground slumpage, or dislodged boulders suspended in vegetation on the cliff face.
“If you feel unsafe, bunk down with friends or whānau until you feel safe to return.”
The council said they were still cleaning up slips, surface flooding and potholes, and were expecting more.
“Be sure to drive with caution when moving around the district.
”Our wastewater system could be put under pressure. We’ll let you know if we need you to limit use of your loo, washing machine, dishwasher and shower.”
Reporter Sarah-Jane is at Te Aroha Primary School, where the kapa haka group is learning a new waiata just in time to ring in Matariki. Video / Kea Kids News