A tropical storm has slammed the North Island with states of emergency declared for multiple regions, while a man swept away in his car by a swollen river remains missing.
A state of emergency has been declared for Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti and Hauraki. Parts of these regions were issued red heavy rain warnings by MetService, which are reserved for the most extreme weather events.
Heavy rain and surface flooding have led to widespread road closures across the North Island, with Waikato police urging residents to avoid all non-essential travel.
A large-scale search began on Wednesday for the driver of a vehicle who was swept away while trying to cross a ford on the Mahurangi River, north of Auckland.
A passenger managed to escape from the vehicle and alerted authorities about the missing driver.
Five whitewater rafts, drones and about 20 emergency staff were taking part in the search near the river crossing at Falls Rd in Warkworth.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said he was “alarmed” to hear about the missing person and called for residents to listen to Auckland Emergency Management and follow its advice.
Police have since announced they have stood down from the Mahurangi River area, leaving the man outstanding.
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell was set to visit Coromandel late on Wednesday afternoon.
“The worst is still to come,” Mitchell said. “If you don’t feel comfortable, move and get somewhere safer.”
In Northland, flash flooding, power cuts and slips left many residents fearful near Ōakura, with evacuations under way for 22 homes due to the increased risk of potential landslides.
A month’s worth of rain was expected in two to three days for parts of the Northland region.
Whangārei District Council Civil Defence staff and police were carrying out the evacuations as a precautionary safety measure.
Mitchell praised the efforts of marae leaders providing support to the community, saying they had been “outstanding”.
Three Kerikeri families camping together at Ōakura over the weekend said they had a lucky escape from flash flooding that tore through their tents.
In Kūaotunu, north of Whitianga, a woman was rescued by kayak from the deck of her home on Wednesday.
The woman’s father, a volunteer firefighter, came to the rescue in a kayak as her home became suddenly surrounded by neck-deep, fast-flowing water.
At the Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park, tents and Portaloos were photographed fully submerged by water.
Auckland, the rest of Tairāwhiti, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay were under orange heavy rain warnings on Wednesday.
Winds of 75-80km/h were expected to affect the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, potentially leading to lane closures.
Motorists were advised to drive to the conditions and pay attention to electronic message boards on the motorway, which would advise if any lane closures and reduced speed limits were required.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said heavy rain was expected on Thursday morning for the eastern parts of the North Island, but conditions should be easing throughout the day.
The worst of the heavy rain would be behind the country on Thursday, although showery conditions were still expected on Friday, he said.
“It is on its way out,” Ferris said. “The top half of the South Island still looks to be under some rain for the first half of Thursday.”
There was a high risk of thunderstorms in parts of Canterbury on Friday and heading into the weekend a drop in temperatures was expected across the country.
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