Towns cut off by floods

Opoutere in the Coromandel was isolated as the water level rose. Roads reopened last night. Photo / Allen Winter

Coromandel towns were cut off by flood waters yesterday as residents across the upper North Island mopped up after a night of torrential rain.

Hot Water Beach and Hahei were isolated by flooding on Hot Water Beach Rd near State Highway 25.

Flood waters also cut access to Opoutere, north of Whangamata, and blocked State Highway 25a at Hikuai.

All roads were reopened by early evening.

Onemana deputy fire chief Jo Adams said the rain stopped yesterday morning, but roads were still "marginal".

Houses were not affected, but there had been severe flooding and silt damage across farmland. "The sky just opened up in the early hours, it hosed down," he said.

The flooding followed heavy rain and thunderstorms overnight on Friday, which swept across Rodney, Auckland and the Coromandel.

Slips on State Highway 1 at Puhoi, north of Auckland, caused long traffic delays.

In Auckland, water flooded the Southern Motorway between Greenlane and Ellerslie.

Gaye Adsett was one of two motorists rescued by firefighters in east Auckland suburbs.

She became trapped in her vehicle in metre-deep water. The car was towed out of the flood.

In Meadowbank, a house was flooded with raw sewage "erupting from the toilet," said fire communications shift manager Paul Radden.

Trees fell across powerlines in Whitford, east of Auckland.

In the north, a Whangaparaoa household prepared to evacuate but firefighters were able to pump water away from their home, Radden said.

In Wellsford, 13 cows were killed after being struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree, TV3 reported.

Farmer Alan Neal said the loss was likely to cost him $25,000.

Residents in the Auckland suburbs of Ellerslie, St Heliers, and Howick were mopping out flooded garages and homes yesterday.

Howick resident Stu Stanners said washing baskets and shoes had floated down the road in knee-deep water.

"There was so much water coming down, it was literally like a river," he said.

In Stanmore Bay, Steve Cheriton said water up to 1m deep swept past his house and into his bedroom.

"We mopped up about 30 litres with towels," he said.

"The yard was underwater by a metre in places. We've had flooding twice before but this was the worst."

In the Coromandel, one family abandoned their Waikawau Bay house because of floodwater, the fire service said.

Worried residents in Cemetery Rd, Kuaotunu, north of Whitianga, called 111 at 4am after being trapped by rising water.

Rural fire officer Keith Goodall said officers went door to door checking residents were safe and dry.

Rain stopped soon afterwards, and most households escaped with damage to sheds, garages and vehicles.

"If it had kept raining they could have been in trouble."

Goodall said sunny weather yesterday was helping with the clean up.

Weatherwatch's Phil Duncan said the extreme weather was caused by a rain system sweeping from the northeast, meeting a severe thunderstorm from the northwest.

In Auckland, the downpour peaked at rush hour on Friday.

Metservice ambassador Bob McDavitt said Whitianga received the most intense rainfall, with 29mm in an hour early yesterday.