Aerial video from Kio Kio Station Rd near Ōtorohanga shows widespread flooding and rising water surrounding rural properties.
Wild weather has caused chaos across the North Island – including a death and two regional states of emergency – and there are warnings to brace for even heavier rainfall tomorrow.
Severe thunderstorm warnings are in place in the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga this evening, with thestorms expected to deliver torrential rain and potential for flash flooding.
Severe thunderstorm watches are also in force for Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupō and Gisborne.
Heavy surface flooding and slips closed state highways and isolated the South Waikato coastal town of Kāwhia today, with the council urging residents to stay home.
⚠️ A deepening low is bringing heavy rain, strong winds & large waves, creating hazardous conditions across parts of the North Island 🌧️💨🌊@MetService has issued multiple watches & warnings, incl. Orange Heavy Rain Warnings, with Gisborne/Tairāwhiti the main concern through Mon pic.twitter.com/3MMymGdE7X
Ōtorohanga district was hit particularly hard by what MetService described as an “intense period” of heavy rainfall over four hours, which caused power outages and damage to homes.
Along with Waipā District, it was put into a state of emergency because of the severe weather impacts.
Attention is turning now to the North Island’s East Coast, which is blanketed in weather warnings and watches from MetService.
Torrential rain has devastated the Ōtorohanga district, closing roads, washing out bridges, triggering slips and floodwaters, and a man has died. Photo / Mike Scott
Meteorologist Devlin Lynden told the Herald that rainfall is likely to drench the region.
“For Gisborne, Tairāwhiti, we’re expecting the rainfall through the rest of this evening and Sunday to be quite significant, likely the heaviest for those areas over the past few days,” Lynden said.
A ute crashed into where the land had given way at a bridge on State Highway 39 just south of Mangati Rd near Puketotara. Photo / Wayne Feisst
The “strongest band” of rainfall is likely to come on Sunday, Lynden said.
Gisborne, north of Tolaga Bay, has an orange heavy rain warning overnight until 9am Sunday, with up to 150mm of rain expected on top of the significant amount that has already fallen.
Heavy rain and wind warnings cover much of the North Island's east coast for this evening and tomorrow. Photo / MetService
Gisborne, south of Poverty Bay, and Hawke’s Bay about and east of Wairoa has a heavy rain warning starting at 7am tomorrow and lasting for 22 hours.
Inland Whanganui and Manawatū, north of Marton, and Taihape have the same warning starting at 6pm Sunday.
Strong wind warnings for Wellington, and eastern Marlborough north of Clarence, Wairarapa and the Tararua District and Gisborne, south of Poverty Bay, come into force on Sunday afternoon.
