Flooding closed Tamaki Drive in Auckland this morning. Photo / ACDEM / Twitter
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Good morning and welcome to today's edition of Morning Rush. Everything you need to know, including the latest, breaking news, sport, entertainment, traffic, travel and weather information. Share your news tips and photos at #MorningRushNZ or morningrush@nzme.co.nz
Road closures this
morning:
• Hikaui Settlement Rd, Coromandel
• Tairua Rd, Coromandel
• State Highway 25 Tairua to Whangamata in Duck Creek area
• State Highway 60 Takaka Hill, Nelson
10.15am: The weather is moving down the North Island and our live coverage is coming to a close.
9.56am: Tamaki Drive has been re-opened by emergency services.
#Tamaki drive has now been re-opened by emergency services in #Auckland
— Auckland CDEM (@AucklandCDEM) August 31, 2015
9.50am: Newstalk ZB has reported traffic is backed up 5 km along Tamaki Drive following the road closure.
9.46am: The weather is clearing across Auckland.
Wet #weather now clearing #Auckland region as per #MetService radar image at 0937hrs pic.twitter.com/psPIdaIq6L
— Auckland CDEM (@AucklandCDEM) August 31, 2015
9.40am:
Check out the wave this truck made as it travelled through floodwaters on Tamaki Drive. Photographer Brett Phibbs captured this before the road was closed.
9.36am: Good news, the crash on the Northern motorway has been cleared.
Update: The crash N-Bnd on the Nthn Mwy prior to the Auckland Harbour Bridge is now clear. Expect some #delays as congestion eases. ^LC
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 31, 2015
9.32am: Kelly Tarltons says it will aim to be open at 10am, rather than its usual time of 9.30am because of the flooding on Tamaki Drive.
9.28am: WeatherWatch.co.nz says the main rain band has now cleared Auckland. The front will intensify as it moves down and across the North Island - watch for potential surface flooding around Waikato and Bay of Plenty along with gusty winds within the front over the rest of the morning.
"Today's rain band is being fueled by some sub-tropical air, so expect more sudden downpours as it crosses the country" says head weather analyst Philip Duncan.
9.25am: The winds are being felt in the lower North Island. Reports of roofing iron being lifted off in Levin.
Had a report of a roofing iron off this morning in #Levin. Gusts there recorded to 70kph this morning - should ease this arvo. ^EB
— MetService (@MetService) August 31, 2015
9.23am: Waikato Police are urging motorists to use extreme care on roads in the eastern part of the district where a number of Coromandel roads and schools are closed.
Senior Sergeant Andrew Townsend said SH2 at the Karangahake Gorge between Paeroa and Waihi is being assessed due to rising river levels
"At this stage Hikuai Settlement Rd into Hikuai is closed due to flooding until further notice as is Tairua Rd into Tairua.
"SH25 Tairua to Whangamata is also flooded and the road has been closed in the Duck Creek area, our advice is to delay or avoid travelling in the area if at all possible.
"East Coast Rd to Kaiaua is also flooded in a number of places.
"We also have reports of minor slips on the Thames Coast and Kopu-Hikuai Roads but they remain open at this stage."
School bus services are also not running.
"These include but may not be limited to; the Tairua-Pauanui- Hikuai Thames High School Bus, the Tairua-Opoutere Area School bus and the Whangamata-Opoutere school bus run.
9.18am: NZTA says the crash just before the Harbour Bridge on the Northern motorway is now blocking the left lane. Expect delays.
9.14am:
Another great photo by New Zealand photographer Brett Phibbs from Tamaki Drive this morning.
9.10am:
A cyclist trying to negotiate the flooding on Tamaki Drive.
9.06am: The storm in numbers:
• Rain in Auckland: 55mm in 24 hours
• Most rain in one hour in Auckland: 9mm at 7am
• Most rain: Kopu East, 167.7mm in 24 hours
• Strongest gales: gusting 87km/h in the Hauraki Gulf
9.04am: NZTA is reporting a crash in the centre lane on the Northern Motorway before the Harbour Bridge is blocking. Expect delays on the Northern city-bound.
9.00am: The crash on Johns Road, SH1, Christchurch is causing delays for those headed from Belfast to the Airport. It's currently taking close to 40 minutes, more than double the usual journey time.
8.57am: A MetService meteorologist said Auckland's weather would improve soon, but the rest of the country needed to hunker down as the rain and wind headed south.
• In Northland, Kerikeri had seen 35mm of rain overnight and rain meters in Warkworth and Hunua has both measures 28mm.
• In Whitianga, on the Coromandel Peninsula, 40mm had fallen in the last 12 hours.
• In the last 12 hours, parts of the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty had received heavy rainfall. On the Pinnacles, near Thames, 42.5 millimetres of rain had fallen, while 75mm had fallen in the hills behind Waihi.
8.55am: Tamaki Drive has now been closed by emergency services because of flooding.
Emergency Services have now CLOSED #Tamaki Drive from Ngapipi Road due to surface #flooding. Please take alternative routes.
— Auckland CDEM (@AucklandCDEM) August 31, 2015
8.53am: This graphic shows what has been passing over the country this morning.
A rainy morning across the North Island. Spreading across the South Island today.
— MetService (@MetService) August 31, 2015
Radar: http://t.co/prKU7NLg8t ^CL pic.twitter.com/ejOKOKGPjz
8.48am: Just had a serious downpour in Auckland CBD now. If you have to get on the roads around the country today, take extra care.
8.45am: Auckland Civil Defence said Police are diverting traffic off Tamaki Drive at Ngapipi Drive as the flooding continues to get worse.
8.42am: Northcote Point wharf has been closed because of the weather. Auckland Transport said all ferry services have been cancelled until further notice.
8.38am: There's been a crash on State Highway 1 at the intersection of Johns Road and Sawyers Arms Road. Christchurch Transport Operations Centre says one-lane is closed and traffic is being controlled on a stop-go system. Expect delays in the area.
8.35am: Here's another image from Auckland Civil Defence on the situation at Tamaki Drive. Motorists should avoid the area.
Suggest avoiding Tamaki Drive due to flooding and waves pic.twitter.com/BCySzUEgJA
— Auckland CDEM (@AucklandCDEM) August 31, 2015
8.32am: The rain is gradually clearing from the north. Here's an updated image of the rain radar across Auckland, currently.
Auckland: Rain gradually clearing from the north. Heavy rain rates on the back edge (orange colours). Drive safe! ^GG pic.twitter.com/co9f5B6zLL
— MetService (@MetService) August 31, 2015
8.29am: Here's an update on the situation in the South Island, where snow is falling, from the Christchurch Transport Operations Centre.
State Highway 60 Takaka Hill, Nelson is closed due to snow. If people are travelling on the Milford Road (State Highway 94) Southland, chains are required. Snow is falling on the Alpine Passes but they remain open at this stage.
8.25am: Auckland Transport says Tamaki Drive is down to one lane in either direction because of the waves. Delays are to be expected.
8.23am: Waves are coming over Tamaki Drive in Auckland, causing flooding. The tide hits peak at 9am, so things could get even worse.
Tamaki Drive affected by waves and flooding this morning. Peak tide 9am #delays pic.twitter.com/HkCBEkNica
— Auckland CDEM (@AucklandCDEM) August 31, 2015
8.18am: How funny is this. Waikato Civil Defence made sure people were prepared by describing what a king tide was with this funny picture.
To add to the crap weather, there is also a #kingtide (see pic) this can make things a bit more #crap along our coast pic.twitter.com/P9Z6jc4LVN
— Waikato CivilDefence (@CivilDefenceWKT) August 31, 2015
8.15am: AA Roadwatch reported Tairua Rd, Tairua and Hikuai Settlement Rd, Hikuai, both on the Coromandel Peninsula, had been closed due to flooding.
8.12am: The Thames Coromandel District Council has reported heavy rain overnight has caused surface flooding and slips across the Coromandel Peninsula.
More surface flooding is expected with the high tide shortly after 9am, and rain will continue until mid-afternoon today, according to the TCDC website.
8.08am: Tauranga firefighters were this morning called to an incident involving a roof lifting off a building on Dive Cres.
Senior station officer Neil Brown said firefighters helped to repair the roof, but said it was possible more reports of weather related incidents could be yet to come as people woke up and got to work.
Emergency services have also been called to reports of a roof lifting from a home in Papamoa.
8.04am: Heavy flooding has closed Hikuai School, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula.
There is also surface flooding in Manaia, just South of Coromandel township.
8.00am: New Zealand Transport Agency Auckland and Northland spokeswoman Sarah Azam said there had been no road closures due to the bad weather so far. The agency was monitoring the situation closely, she said.
"There are no road closures on the state highway network but obviously the weather is marginal and where possible we've got signs up for motorists to take extra care.
"We're closely monitoring the situation, we're working with contractors to resolve issues as soon as we can."
7.55am: If you're heading to Auckland Airport this morning expect delays on the South-Western Motorway. NZTA said an earlier crash is clear of the lanes, but due to "rubber-necking" traffic is congested heading to the airport. Leave plenty of time to get there.
7.48am: Vector has reported approximately 1776 households are without power in Kumeu after an outage occurred around 10.45pm.
7.44am: A tree is down on Hibiscus Coast Highway, blocking the south-bound lane near Puhoi. Fire Service crews had been at the scene clearing the debris for 15 minutes, Fire Service spokesman Steve Smith said. The road was blocked near Fowler Access Road.
7.40am: There's flooding on the Hibiscus Coast Highway this morning. Police said flood waters were about 100 mm deep in places. Cars were still able to get through, and council had been advised.
7.36am: Here's an update for commuters on the situation across Auckland's Motorways.
It's slow on the network this morning, probably due to the weather!
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 31, 2015
Time to City from:
Greville 40min
Hobsonville 45min
Papakura 90+min
^LC
7.32am: Senior constable Martin Geddes of Waipu police said there had been reports of surface flooding on the roads between Waipu and Whangarei.
"It's something for motorists to be aware of." The flooding was in the usual places - low lying areas of roads in the area, Mr Geddes said.
7:28am: As part of this big messy weather system, snow is forecast for parts of the South Island and warnings are in place. Affected roads include Lewis Pass, Arthurs Pass, Porters Pass, Lindis Pass and Milford Rd - and the NZTA is urging drivers to take care. The snow should clear or turn to rain by tonight, MetService said.
7.24am: New bank notes are being launched today. We will be getting a look at the new $5 and $10 notes about 9am this morning.
7.20am:
Here's the WeatherWatch video from yesterday to give you an idea of what is behind all this miserable weather.
7.17am: The Southern Motorway is also heavy this morning, currently taking 55 minutes from Manukau to Nelson St.
7.14am: One commuter says "Leave early if heading in on northwestern motorway, traffic really slow this morning." It's currently taking 55 minutes from Hobsonville to the city centre.
7.10am: Aucklanders waiting for the bus in the pouring rain without any bus shelters. There's going to be a lot of people showing up to work soaking wet today.
Days like this once again highlight the lack of shelter most of our train stations and bus stops. pic.twitter.com/QBKsSaWAdV
— Greater Auckland (@GreaterAKL) August 31, 2015
7.07am: NZTA has warned of surface water on the Southern Motorway. Keep a safe following distance.
7.02am: There's been a slip near Waiatarua this morning.
Fire Service spokesman Steve Smith said firefighters were called to the Piha Rd scene about 6.10am. No one was injured in the incident which involved "a large rock", Mr Smith said.
6.58am: One in three New Zealand adults are obese, now a landmark study could tell us why we get fat. Read more here.
6.54am: Check out this great graphic from MetService that shows what the country is in for today.
Much of #NewZealand seeing rain & wind today.
— MetService (@MetService) August 31, 2015
Radar before you walk out the door--> http://t.co/prKU7O2R01 ^CL pic.twitter.com/3TPkByrDN4
6.49am: Take care on the roads this morning, conditions are treacherous. NZTA is warning motorists of surface flooding on the Northern Motorway and wind gusts on the Harbour Bridge.
6.45am: Did you watch Masterchef NZ last night? An error left many fans gutted when the name of the person eliminated was aired accidentally before the elimination had happened. Oops!
6.42am: Queenstown and Auckland have been ranked among the world's friendliest cities. Read more about the list here.
6.39am: NZTA has reports of serious flooding south of Whangarei on State Highway 1. If you're travelling between Brynderwyn Hills and Otaika take extreme care.
Reports of serious flooding on SH1 between Brynderwyn & Otaika. Please take extra care & drive to the conditions. ^LC
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 31, 2015
6.36am: The European Union is facing a migrant crisis of an unprecedented scale. Today's article gives great insight on the size of the problem.
6.32am: Today marks one year since two Work and Income NZ staffers were killed after a gunman opened fire in the Ashburton branch. Peggy Noble and Leigh Cleveland died and Lindy Curtis was seriously injured in the shooting. Read police reporter Anna Leask's report on the incident from last year here.
6.29am: In case you missed last night's Big Read here's the piece on the people who catch criminals sharing child abuse images online.
6.26am: The adult son of a New Zealand woman last seen six years ago is now a person of interest in his mother's murder investigation. Linda Frances Sidon, who had been living in the Gold Coast at the time of her disappearance, was last seen in June 2009 at the Ashmore home where she lived with her son Daniel. Read more about the mysterious case here.
6.23am: The wild weather overnight has downed a large tree in Matamata. Fire Service says the tree collapsed onto the middle of State Highway 27.
6.20am: Intruders who broke into a Matamata house and assaulted a man this morning are now on the run, police say.
6.18am: WeatherWatch.co.nz says the main front is currently crossing Auckland. "The strongest wind gusts are now moving in with the heaviest downpours and mostly winds are below gale force," says weather analyst Philip Duncan.
6.14am: The Gulf Harbour ferry will not be sailing this morning. Auckland Transport says buses will replace the ferry service.
6.10am: If you're waking up to any signs of damage from the storm overnight send in some photos to morningrush@nzme.co.nz
6.06am: The four flags that the Flag Consideration Panel think are the best fit for the country will be announced later this morning.
6.03am: MetService says the extreme weather will ease through the day.
Rainy start in #Auckland, #Wellington, & #Hamilton. Rain & wind warnings for some: http://t.co/qHyE5zhh6X ^CL pic.twitter.com/Kwu9pVKMTE
— MetService (@MetService) August 31, 2015
6.00am: Good morning everyone, and welcome to the first day of spring. The weather is terrible out there, it's very wet and windy right across the North Island and the top of the South Island.
Similar products were taken in the two other raids, and in break-ins at two other stores.