Parts of Northland are underwater this morning after a night of torrential rain, with one resident describing the flooding as the worst he’s seen in 60 years.
A severe thunderstorm warning for Northland has been lifted, but parts of the region are already flooded with more heavy rain on the way.
MetService had issued the warning earlier this morning for the Far North and Whangārei, saying the thunderstorms could be accompanied by heavy rain which could “cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous”.
The warning was lifted at 7.45am. However, MetService has warned further heavy rain is expected across eastern Northland this morning.
Flooding has already been reported in parts of the region, with photos taken in Ōakura showing streets and backyards under water.
Whangārei Heads resident Kathy Wallace said the floodwaters covering her Ross Rd driveway in Parua Bay were worse this morning than when Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
“The neighbour’s dog kennel has bent the bridge railing,” she said.
“We’re not going anywhere today.”
Flooding has also been reported in Whangaruru, Punaruku and Helena Bay, with residents saying access to those east coast settlements north of Whangārei has been hampered.
The Whangaruru North Residents and Ratepayers Association said Tūparehuia Marae has been opened for people needing shelter.
In Helena Bay, Liv Patu said there had been torrential rain most of the night.
“There’s about 14 of us out here this weekend [and] everyone was up around 5.30am moving cars and valuables to higher ground,” she said.
Patu believed two cars may have had water fill the footwells.
“The whole bay had become one with the creek.”
A Helena Bay farmer, who asked not to be named, said it was the worst flooding he had seen in 60 years and the first time floodwaters had come over the road by his house. His cattle had got out due to the fences being down.
There are also reports of people having to pull animals from the floodwaters this morning, with one person said to have lost some stock.
The Whangārei District Council confirmed Ngunguru, Helena Bay, Ōakura, Punaruku and Whangaruru have been cut off by flooding.
“Please do not attempt to travel in or out of these areas until rain and flooding clears.”
Homes across the region are also without power thanks to a lightning strike around 5.15am.
Northpower said 225 homes in Whangaruru have no power, along with 525 customers in Ōakura, Punaruku and Whangaruru. Field staff are investigating both outages.
On the roads, the Ngaiotonga Bridge has washed out by the turn off to Bland Bay and Whangaruru North Rd. The Far North District Council has been notified.
Motorist Amy Tipene said floodwaters were rising at Scows Landing on Ngunguru Rd, with the river breaking its bank. Tipene described the portion of road as “dangerous”.
A heavy rain warning is in place for Eastern and Central Northland until noon today.
MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden told NZME some areas of Northland have recorded over 100mm of rain in the past six hours.
“Many places up there are certainly getting large amounts of precipitation, definitely enough to cause the surface flooding that people have been seeing up there.”
Lynden said the heavy rain will move eastward away from the coastal areas from about midday.
“I think it’ll continue raining for a wee while this morning but gradually move off.
“It’s looking like this afternoon there’ll still be showers about, but the intensity will be significantly less than it has been this morning.”
Northland Regional Council’s rainfall data showed Dugmores Rock in Ngunguru, on the Tutukākā Coast, received 171.5mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
The recording was the highest of NRC’s rainfall monitoring locations ahead of Glenbervie Forest in Whangārei (139mm) and Puhipuhi Rd in Whakapara (100mm).