Surf Life Saving New Zealand is warning that extreme weather, anticipated to worsen in coming days, will create hazardous conditions at beaches across the country and people should take extreme care around coastlines. Photo / Jo Jones
People in parts of Waihi Beach are self-evacuating.
The Western Bay of Plenty District Council said on Facebook the Waihī Beach RSA has opened as a Community Emergency Hub.
“If you go to the RSA, please bring your own essential supplies, including bedding, medication, and personal items, in case you need to stay overnight.”
The council encouraged people evacuating to stay with friends or family first, to help keep the RSA available for those who needed it most.
A local state of emergency has been declared in the Bay of Plenty, with the worst of the rain expected overnight.
The Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management made the declaration this afternoon after receiving support from local mayors.
“This is a precautionary approach to ensure controllers and others with extraordinary powers can respond quickly and efficiently, to deliver actions that will help keep people safe during a response,” it said in a statement.
“This includes closing roads or public places, undertaking works, removing or securing dangerous structures and material, and providing first aid, food or shelter.
“You can still go about your daily business under a state of local emergency, but make sure you listen to and follow any instructions from civil defence and emergency services.”
A red rain warning, the first for 2026, is in place for Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua until 9am tomorrow.
In the 24 hours to 2pm today there has been 123mm of rain at Waihī Beach, 79mm at Tauranga, 78mm at Matakana, 50mm at Te Puke, 41mm at Kawerau, 31mm at Whakatāne, 22mm at Rotorua and 14mm at Ōpōtiki.
MetService said the current weather was being driven by a strong and extremely humid northeasterly flow that preceded a tropical low approaching New Zealand from the north today.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said heavy rain had been affecting the more western areas of Bay of Plenty today but was expected to spread everywhere this afternoon.
“It looks like peak intensities are due through the hours of darkness into Thursday morning.”
Ferris said rain rates had been up to around the 15mm/h mark so far but from this evening there was risk of downpours which could see areas reach 40mm/h.
He said strong easterly winds, likely more noticeable around western areas, were also forecast.
Ferris expected rain to ease from the west after dawn on Thursday.
“Eastern areas might hold on to some showers past midday but most places look to dry out as wind gradually turn[s] around to the west,” Ferris said.
“Friday has blustery westerly winds, risk of showers peppering the region, more likely around evening which marks the arrival of some cooler air for the weekend.”
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said he supported declaring a state of local emergency because it enabled a faster, safer response under a red heavy rain warning.
“Keeping communities safe is our top priority. We are being proactive rather than reactive.”
Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer said the state of local emergency was “precautionary”.
“We’ve had direction from the minister [Mark Mitchell] to not hold back on declaring a state of emergency.”
Denyer said councils wanted to be “ahead of the game” as projected weather was expected to worsen.
“It is only raining, but it’s continuous heavy rain.
“If people have to evacuate, we’d rather that happens in a controlled way rather than late at night or when conditions are really bad.”
Whakatāne Mayor Nándor Tánczos said it was a very dynamic situation.
“We’re really trying to monitor and stay on top of the information.“
He said the weather in Whakatāne was drizzly and overcast and expected it to start ramping up this afternoon.
“People should take it really seriously. Yes, it’s only light rain, drizzling at the moment but we’re confident that we’re going to get pretty intense wind and rain dropping from around midnight.”
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said the declaration of a state of emergency was “out of my hands”.
“We need to be extremely cautious about declaring a state of emergency.
“They are used to help with special powers such as ensuring we can close roads, evacuating people, and undertaking urgent works.”
She said four councils in the region had been considering declaring a state of emergency.
“Because of that, a decision was then made to make this a regional state of emergency.”
Rotorua was expected to escape the worst of the weather, with coastal areas expected to be hit harder.
Along the coastline, people were cautioned to stay off beaches and out of the water due to hazardous conditions.
“We’re seeing some large swells, upwards of two and a half metres, with some pretty strong onshore winds,” Surf Lifesaving New Zealand eastern region manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said.
Mount Maunganui Beach, Ōmanu Beach and Pāpāmoa Beach were all red-flagged today, meaning swimming was not advised.
“Stay off the beaches and stay out of the water.“
Gibbons-Campbell said they were keeping an observational team on at Mount Maunganui because there were still people going in the water.
Gibbons-Campbell said beaches had passed high tide earlier this morning, and the current outgoing tide was “doubly, doubly dangerous”.
He instructed all lifeguards to finish early due to unsafe road conditions and patrols closed at 2pm at most locations.
“I really want to emphasise that our lifeguards are finishing early today across our beaches, and it’s not safe for them to go in the water, so we don’t want members of the public putting themselves at risk.”
An emergency alert was sent out across Bay of Plenty advising people to put their safety first.
In the alert from the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management team at 11.47am, people were advised to act quickly if they saw rising floodwater.
“Do not try to walk, play, swim or drive in floodwater.
“Avoid all non-essential travel. Bring pets indoors and move livestock to high ground where possible.”
People were also advised to be prepared to evacuate.
“Keep a bag close. If you are in immediate danger, call 111.”
Tauranga City Council duty controller Nigel McGlone said it was monitoring the weather situation alongside the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Group.
At this stage, he said, there were no road closures in Tauranga or areas causing concern.
A council statement said it had activated its emergency operations centre as a precaution, with a dedicated team ready to respond to any emerging issues.
The Whakatāne District Council also activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at 1pm.
“Our decision to activate the EOC reflects the seriousness of this weather event and the level of risk it poses to our communities,” Whakatāne District local controller Mike Avery said.
“Rainfall totals are high, river levels are rising, and impacts could escalate quickly.”
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council activated its flood room at 3.15pm as a precaution.
“This means our flood management team is set up to monitor the situation 24/7 as it develops,” the regional council said.
“We will be providing real-time river level information to supporting agencies ... to assist with planning and responding to local communities.”
People could call 07 577 7000 24/7 to report weather-related issues such as flooding, fallen trees, or slips.
A Katikati resident told the Bay of Plenty Times his workplace, which has many staff travelling in vehicles across the Bay, had sent all staff home effective immediately.
They said that due to the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence severe rain warning, they were asked to “go home to work from there as a precaution”.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said in a traffic bulletin that State Highway 2 in the Karangahake Gorge was likely to close overnight around high tide “as it has already reached maximum levels”.
The agency said road users should be aware of possible flooding, especially in low-lying areas and near rivers, slips, fallen trees, reduced visibility and hazardous driving conditions, and potential road closures or delays.
Heavy rain could also cause potholes to form or worsen, creating additional hazards for drivers.
“Driving through floodwater can be extremely dangerous,” the agency said.
“Just 15cm of water can sweep a person off their feet, and 30cm can carry away most vehicles. Motorists should be aware of branches and other debris they may not be able to see under the surface of flood waters.”
People were asked to be mindful of contractors who could be out clearing hazards off the road, and drive slowly through work sites.
Bay of Plenty Civil Defence advised people not to travel unless it was an emergency, as there may be slips, fallen trees or surface flooding on roads. The organisation recommended drivers check with NZTA or their local council website for any road closures.
In Coromandel, flooding was being reported on Wade Rd, south of Whitianga. Surface flooding was also reported around the region.
SH25 from Whitianga to Tairua was closed, NZTA reported.
“SH25 is also closed south of Whitianga near Wade Rd. This means Whitianga can not currently be accessed via SH25 from north or south,” NZTA said on Facebook.
SH25 was closed between Discovery Drive and Simpson’s Beach due to flooding. “It is expected to remain closed for several hours.”
About 200mm to 250mm of rain was expected to fall in the Coromandel Peninsula until 6am on Thursday.
The Thames-Coromandel District Council advised people in a low-lying area to “please move to higher ground immediately”.
“The Coromandel Peninsula is experiencing significant rainfall and more rain is expected today. Rivers and creeks are rising rapidly,” the council said.
“We ask campground owners to proactively stay alert and manage any of their hazards.”
The Cooks Beach Community Response Group has been activated and was operating from the Cooks Beach Fire Station.
The group was working alongside the Cooks Beach Campground to support the evacuation of about 35 to 40 campers, council said.
“We ask campground owners to stay alert and proactively manage hazards at their sites.
“Please take this warning seriously and act now to keep yourself and others safe.”
Several key routes around the peninsula were closed due to slips or flooding.
People were advised to check NZTA’s website for any further closures.
Cooks Beach Resort manager Callum Murray said he had evacuated campers but still had caravans and campervans on site.
“I’ve got a car almost completely under water.”
He said the campground was about 1.5m over the “normal” water level.
“The bottom half of my camp is now a lake.“
Murray said the resort had about 100 people on site at this stage who were being evacuated to the care of locals.
“The civil defence unit is now set up, so they’ve got a sanctuary for people down at the fire station, but, at this stage, vehicles can move, so campervans I’ve just got on high ground.”
Kennedy Bay Rd near Mangatu Rd is also closed.
SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge remained closed.
Roading crews working to clear around 40 slips along the highway have paused work today.
“With weather set to worsen over the day, crews will take a pause, rest, and allow the weather to pass before reassessing the site and resuming clearing work once safe to do so,” NZTA said in a statement.
“SH35 remains open, however, it is not a reliable detour route while weather is severe.”
SH2 south of Gisborne and SH5 remained open if people must travel.
Additional crews were on standby to respond to any incidents on the detour routes.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has issued a pre-emptive warning about a controlled spill from Matahina Dam overnight.
“As a result of heavy rain Manawa Energy will be required to spill a controlled amount of water from Matahina Dam overnight tonight.”
The council is advising that stock on low-lying land beside the Rangitāiki River and particularly in areas upstream from Te Teko be moved to higher ground, due to a risk of flooding.
The warning did not apply to areas protected by stopbanks and the council stressed that there was no risk of flooding in Edgecumbe or the Rangitāiki Plains area.
The council’s duty flood manager was closely monitoring river levels throughout the event.