Rain has eased over the region with warnings now lifted for most of the Bay of Plenty.
Trees have been reported down with all major rivers impacted by the rain.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council recorded 184mm in the last 24 hours at Awahou Rd inland from Whakatāne, the highest in the region.
Whakatane Airport recorded rainfall of 77mm in the 18 hours leading up to 8am today, while Rotorua Airport recorded 63mm and Tauranga Airport 54mm.
Rain was expected to ease in the region this morning however MetService's heavy rain warning was still in place for the Bay of Plenty, east of Whakatāne
"Expect a further 60 to 90 mm of rain to accumulate about the ranges on top of what has already fallen, and lesser amounts near the coast. Peak intensities of 15 to 25 mm/h in about the ranges," MetService said this morning.
Weather Update: that heavy rain warning is still in place. We will let you know when it has been lifted. In the East, council flood teams are keeping a close eye on river levels. At this stage things are looking ok, but we will let you know if that changes. Drive safe!
— BOP Civil Defence (@BOPCivilDefence) December 14, 2021
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Regional council duty flood manager Mark Townsend said all major rivers that the council monitor have been impacted by last night's rain.
"At this stage only the Kaituna and Paraiti, formerly Mangorewa, rivers have reached Level 1 but we expect more rivers will also reach this level later this morning.
"In regards to infrastructure we own, we have robust systems in place which means farmers who occupy land alongside major rivers get notified by text when rivers reach Level 1 about moving stock to higher ground," Townsend said.
Several trees have come down around Rotorua including one at Kawaha Pt School, covering the artificial turf.
Fulton Hogan crews have cleared several fallen trees covering lanes including on Hamurana Rd, Paradise Valley Rd, and at the Regent St and Springfield Rd intersection.
Rotorua Lakes Council said there was likely to be debris on various roads especially in bush or tree-lined sections, the odd pothole and minor flooding/scour caused by the overnight rain.
Other trees have been reported down around the region at Waiotahi Beach Road, Te Puke East Rd, State Highway 2 Nukuhou and State Highway 30 Awakeri.
A slip blocked a lane on Wainui Rd.
Tauranga City Council general manager of community services Gareth Wallis said the council had not observed any major hazards.
"Stream flows are up following the recent rainfall however this will not have a significant effect in the short to medium term on the ongoing stream flows in the absence of rain.
"As the two streams that provide our city with water are aquifer feed, we need more than intermittent rain to replenish groundwater levels and aquifers that have been significantly impacted by long term drought."
He advised motorists to be cautious and remain vigilant.
"Remember that heavy rain can cause surface flooding and slips. If you're travelling, please be careful on the roads and drive to the conditions.
"Apart from minor localised surface flooding, there has not been any significant weather-related incidents that we are aware of."
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said there had been no significant events overnight that they had been called to.
A spokesman said they had been called to about four fallen trees, but no other issues had been called in. However, he noted that more reports could come in later in the morning when people had woken up and assessed their properties and routes to work.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council anticipates rivers will reach the first warning level this morning, with heavy rain expected to saturate the region.
Police have issued a warning for motorists, the Matahina dam is being lowered and other authorities in the Bay of Plenty have made preparations for the deluge.
HEAVY RAIN FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NZ A complex low pressure system (not Tropical Cyclone Ruby) is bringing rain to...
Posted by MetService New Zealand on Monday, December 13, 2021
Regional council duty flood manager Mark Townsend said Trustpower had been instructed to lower the Matahina dam as a precaution.
"We anticipate that all rivers will reach Level 1 tomorrow [Wednesday] morning."
The first warning level means the river level has reached its normal channel capacity and triggers messages to landowners to move stock from low-lying river-adjacent areas.
Townsend said the council is closely monitoring rain and water levels.
"The situation is changing constantly, but at this stage, MetService forecasts indicate the bulk of the heavy rain will arrive tomorrow [Wednesday] morning.
"In line with these projections, we're looking to activate our Flood Room at around 8am tomorrow morning and have a number of staff on stand-by should the situation escalate."
Heavy rain has eased over northern parts of the country but has moved southwards onto Canterbury https://t.co/prKU7O2R01 ^PL pic.twitter.com/65kMaqbRHe
— MetService (@MetService) December 14, 2021
Townsend said peak flows are forecasted to arrive in the various rivers from Wednesday afternoon through to Thursday morning.
A Metservice warning is also in place for the Coromandel Peninsular from 6pm tonight to 4am tomorrow, with 70 to 90mm of rain expected to accumulate and peak rates of 10-20mm/h about the ranges.
Rotorua Lakes Council said it was keeping an active watch on the current weather warnings and relevant teams were on standby to respond to weather-related issues or emergencies.
Council staff and contractors have been checking all major stormwater pipe inlets to make sure they're clear of debris, emptying storage ponds at the Wastewater Treatment Plan and in the forest as much as possible to ensure maximum capacity, double-checking equipment, ensuring all Emergency Operations Centre and Civil Defence staff rosters and contingency plans were in place and all communication lines were open and ready.
Support crews were also on standby if more help is required. Checks will also take place again once the rain clears, the council said.
The council had a small number of weather-related calls today, mostly for trees down and slips with additional support crews from Fulton Hogan on standby for the next couple of nights.
All Rotorua Lakes Council sports fields were closed on Tuesday afternoon.
Tauranga City Council general manager of community services Gareth Wallis said the council was "carrying out all our usual checks for when there's significant rain on the radar".
These included sending its maintenance contractor to check sumps in areas known to flood with heavy rainfall.
Wally Potts, the council's drainage services team leader, said a heavy rain checklist was made prior to any predicted rain event and performed again at the end of the event.
"This is predominantly for inlets and outlets with a history of blocking with debris that is mobilised in a storm."
"Poor weather reduces visibility and increases stopping distances, so remember to watch your following distances when in traffic and drive at a speed appropriate for the conditions," a spokeswoman said.
"It's also a timely reminder to do the basics to keep yourself and other motorists safe - make sure everyone is wearing their seatbelts, put the phone away, and don't drive while impaired."
WeatherWatch head weather analyst, Philip Duncan, says it is currently a category 2 strong cyclone, but has the potential to become more fierce.
It was set to head over New Caledonia and some southern parts of Vanuatu Tuesday night before tracking towards New Zealand.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is also actively monitoring Cyclone Ruby as it tracks towards New Zealand.
Jacqui Hori-Hoult, regional manager operations and maintenance, said the weather event had the potential to impact the state highway network with heavy rain warnings already in place for parts of the North Island.
#SevereWeather 📹
— Meteored | YourWeather (@MeteoredUK) December 14, 2021
Tropical Cyclone #Ruby hits New Caledonia.
Heavy rains 💦 and sustained winds of 180 km/h have been recorded in #Noumea, although there are no reports of loss of life. pic.twitter.com/2OGg1caqE8
Jetstar's first planes to Sydney and Gold Coast have taken off from Hamilton this week.