Several slips are blocking highways in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel after parts of the region received its wettest day in over a year.
A large slip closed State Highway 33 between Rotorua and Paengaroa this morning with one lane opening around 10am.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the road was expected to be fully open by 3pm.
Heavy rain and strong gale-force wind warnings have now been lifted for the region.
SH30 is down to one lane due to two slips within 500m of each other between SH34 and Matahi Rd.
A slip is blocking both lanes of Te Puna Station Rd about 500m back from the SH2 intersection. The slip is about the size of a vehicle and about half a metre high, a police spokeswoman said.
Due to a slip and downed tree on SH29 between Old Kaimai Rd and Hanga Rd, there is currently a lane shift in place under Stop/Go traffic management until the site is cleared.
According to NIWA Weather, over 100mm of rain has fallen across parts of Coromandel with the wettest day recorded in over two years in Whitianga and the wettest day in over a year in Te Puke.
MetService meteorologist Karl Loot said Rotorua received 74mm of rain in the last 24 hours with Tauranga 63mm in 24 hours.
"The main rain band has moved through the region now but it is likely much of Bay of Plenty can see between 5mm and 15mm of rain for the rest of today in showers, especially from afternoon onwards."
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council flood team said the Kaituna River reached a second warning level overnight but was not expected to rise much higher.
A second warning level means a river has overflowed but is still contained by berms and stopbanks.
Whakatāne River will slowly rise over the next two days but may only trigger a first warning tomorrow morning, the flood team said.
All other rivers are expected to rise but not to warning levels
Rotorua Lakes Council said multiple crews were out this morning looking for weather-related issues.
A slip has come down on Hamurana Rd and flooding has been reported on Wrigley Rd and in front of Fresh Choice on Te Ngae Rd.
A slip and tree fall are also blocking Maniatutu Rd.
Heavy rainfall and high winds have closed several roads across the Coromandel, with debris and surface flooding on many of the roads still open.
Motorists are urged to avoid travel until further notice.
At 1pm Tuesday afternoon the following roads were closed to all traffic:
Waka Kotahi says State Highway 25 remains closed in two locations due to weather-related slips.
As of 1pm today SH25 Coromandel to Te Rerenga is still closed due to multiple slips, and SH25 Kuaotunu to Wharekaho (Simpsons Beach) is closed due to a large slip covering both lanes
Roads that are open with conditions are SH25 Tairua to Hikuai, however Waka Kotahi says this may close again at short notice depending on rainfall volume and tides. SH25A Kopu to Hikuai is open, however residents are asked to consider not travelling to allow contractors to remove slip debris as quickly as possible.
With rainfall forecast to continue across the rest of the week Coromandel residents are encouraged to check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner at www.journeys.govt.nz for the latest state highway conditions, as there may be further closures required.
Residents should only travel if absolutely necessary, and when driving it is important to drive to the conditions.
Emergency Management Bay of Plenty spokeswoman Lisa Glass said the Bay of Plenty Regional Council flood teams were keeping a close eye on river levels.
"This predominantly affects rural residents- when the rivers reach certain levels, automatic messages go out to relevant land owners.
"In terms of towns and cities, there is clearly a risk of surface flooding and all the associated issues- roading damage, low-lying areas flooding, as well as landslides and slips.
"So much rain over recent days means there is a risk of this sort of event, along with trees uprooted etc. With the sodden ground it may not take extreme winds to cause trees to fall."
Glass said work on repairing the damaged State Highway 35 road near Motu River was not going to be made easier with more rain.
"As it stands, Waka Kotahi teams are working on SH35 during the day and then opening it to one lane traffic this evening, but that was going to be weather-dependent so they may decide it's just not prudent."
Rotorua Lakes Council said usual preparations had been undertaken by the council's infrastructure team and contractors and crews were on standby ready to respond to any events overnight.
"Pre-rain event checks on critical large culvert inlets have been completed to ensure all are clear of any potential blockages," the council said in a statement.
"Council's wastewater management contractor TRILITY is preparing for potentially high stormwater flows into the wastewater network and have ensured storage ponds at the wastewater treatment plant are as empty as possible and that all plant and equipment is fully operational.
"Roading contractor Fulton Hogan will be inspecting and clearing cesspit grates in flood-prone zones.
"People are urged to take extreme care on all roads throughout the district as there is likely to be surface flooding, small washouts, tree falls and debris on the roads."
Any weather related issues should be reported to Council on 07 348 4199 (24/7).
Tauranga City Council Manager Drainage Services, Radleigh Cairns, said the council was monitoring the weather closely and carrying out all their usual checks for when significant rain was on the radar.
"A heavy rain checklist is made prior to any predicted event and is performed again at the end of the rain event. This is predominantly for inlets and outlets with a history of blocking with debris that is mobilised in a storm".
Thames-Coromandel District Council is warning that the storm is set to be the most intense so far this winter, with the sodden district in line for another 160mm of rain over the next two days.
Civil Defence controller Garry Towler urged residents not to take risks with unnecessary travel.
"Our catchments will struggle to cope resulting in surface flooding, slips, isolation and maybe power outages.
"This event is an ex-tropical front packed with a lot of rain, so get prepared once again at home and work, stock up on essentials and plan for delays, isolation and flooding in low-lying areas."
Rotorua has already had 213.2mm of rain this month compared with a total July average of 133.9mm.
Tauranga has had 200mm compared with a total July average of 123.6mm.
More to come.
Reg Hennessy has owned pubs, taverns and liquor stores over a nearly 50-year career.
