Main roads in the Coromandel are affected by flooding. Photo / Facebook / Coromandel's CFM
More than 10,000 people are without power at the bottom of the North Island, while flooding has inundated West Auckland neighbourhoods as rain continues to fall across the top of the country.
And the wild conditions are such that at 2.30pm, Waka Kotahi issued a warning to motorists crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
“Due to strong wind gusts extra care is currently required on the Harbour Bridge, especially for high-sided vehicles & motorcycles. Please obey speed signs and maintain a safe following distance,” it said.
SH1 AKL HBR BRIDGE - 2:30PM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) July 21, 2023
Due to strong wind gusts extra care is currently required on the Harbour Bridge, especially for high-sided vehicles & motorcycles. Please obey speed signs and maintain a safe following distance.^HJ pic.twitter.com/jusOyxjdvE
Within 40 minutes, Waka Kotahi announced: “Due to predicted strong wind gusts AKL Harbour Bridge will be operating with 4 lanes in each direction during this evening’s peak travel period. Expect delays. Take extra care especially light/high-sided vehicles.”
Services on two of Auckland’s train lines have been severely impacted after a landslip on a section of track between Parnell and Newmarket stations. Trains on the Onehunga line are suspended until further notice.
Western line trains are cancelled between Britomart and Newmarket, while Southern line trains are running normally. Auckland Transport said scheduled buses were accepting train tickets along all lines.
Poor weather has cancelled flights in and out of Nelson, New Plymouth and Tauranga, a spokeswoman for Air New Zealand said.
”We haven’t had any issues with the weather in Auckland today, however,” she said.
”We’re advising customers to keep an eye on their Air New Zealand app for updates to their flights and thank them for their patience.”
Slips affect main roads in the Coromandel and Auckland regions, and some are now impassable.
On isolated Waiheke Island, a slip blocked the main road, delaying bus services along Donald Bruce Rd at Kennedy Pt.
At lunchtime, Waka Kotahi NZTA said flooding had covered State Highway 16 south of Helensville.
On the Coromandel, parts of SH25, between Manaia and Te Kouma, and near Ruamahunga have been closed by a slip, while another section near Whitianga was closed due to flooding.
Power cuts have plunged Kāpiti, Horowhenua and Manawatū districts into the dark.
Lines company Electra said trees falling on to power lines was the main concern, and lines have also come down in the town of Shannon.
West Auckland is Flooding spokesman Lyall Carter said he had heard of homes flooding at Ranui, Swanson and Henderson.
“These are homes that are susceptible to flooding and have been flooded multiple times,” said Carter.
He had received a report of one man who had rebuilt and moved back into his home, only to see water come up to his property today.
Stormy weather looks to be affecting most of New Zealand today as weather warnings and watches are put in place for many parts of the country.
Carter said West Aucklanders have had a gutsful of their homes being flooded multiple times.
“It’s a failure of governance, a failure of planning, a failure of infrastructure and a further reminder that our rivers and streams are no longer rivers and streams but urban stormwater.”
A heavy rain warning is in place until 8pm today for the Coromandel Peninsula, as well as a strong wind watch until 3pm, MetService said.
Severe Weather Warning Update
— MetService (@MetService) July 20, 2023
🟠🌧 Heavy Rain Warnings for Coromandel & Tairāwhiti/Gisborne
🟡🌧 Heavy Rain Watches for Auckland, northwest Hawke's Bay, eastern Marlborough & Canterbury
🟡💨 Strong Wind Watches for many northern and central regions pic.twitter.com/fTBQxno9l4
The Coromandel area was also facing flooding and slip damage to roads following a wet and windy night.
The Gisborne area is also under a heavy rain warning until 6am tomorrow.
For Auckland and Great Barrier Island, a heavy rain warning and strong wind watch are listed until 3pm today.
Two people have been rescued from floodwaters and 5000 properties are without power in the Coromandel as heavy rain and flooding hit the North Island.
In Thames, Fire and Emergency NZ received a call just after 4am of a car needing assistance, and helped pull a vehicle out of danger from the water on Kauaeranga Valley Rd.
Surface flooding was affecting the Manaia area, SH25 at Te Kouma Hill and Wade Rd in Whitianga, according to social media reports.
Power is out in Whitianga and Hikuai, affecting more than 5000 properties, and there has been a failure on one of the major wastewater pump stations to the south side of Whitianga, according to the Thames-Coromandel District Council.
Mercury Bay Area School announced on Facebook this morning that the school would be closed because staff were unable to make it to school through the bad weather.
“Due to multiple staff not being able to access school today and the severe weather warning, Ross has made the decision to close the school today,” the post said.
Crashes and flooded motorways also caused havoc for commuters in Auckland this morning, as heavy rain continued to fall.
At least two crashes were reported near Khyber Pass in the central city. The first crash occurred just before 7am between Khyber Pass Rd and Gillies Ave, blocking the two far-right lanes on the southbound motorway.
A person who drove past the accident scene said a truck had hit a car, which had spun around 180 degrees and was now facing oncoming traffic. Police said nobody had been injured and the crash was cleared before 7.30am.
Those travelling on SH16 were warned to keep an eye on the roads after reports of flooding just north of Kaukapakapa Flats Rd.
Waka Kotahi asked travellers to follow the directions of response crews and consider delaying their journey or expect delays and possible diversions.
At 7.15am Waka Kotahi said there was also a crash blocking the right lane southbound beside the Khyber Pass Rd on-ramp.
Heavy rain overnight and this morning was causing “atrocious” driving conditions for motorists in the city, while orange warnings were in place elsewhere in the North Island.
More than 60mm fell in parts of the city over 12 hours, including downpours of more than 25mm in an hour, MetService said. More than 5mm in an hour is considered heavy rain.
MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said a band of rain had passed over Northland and was now sitting squarely over Auckland and Coromandel.
The rain in Northland had cleared to showers and winds had calmed down, but over 24 hours the northernmost areas like Kaikohe and Cape Reinga had seen more than 50mm of rain and heavy bursts of up to 20mm in an hour.
Some parts of Auckland had seen more than 60mm in the past 12 hours, Wotherspoon said, including downpours of more than 25mm.
In Coromandel, Whitianga had seen 55mm of rain over 12 hours and other areas saw between 30-50mm. The rain was “still very much ongoing”.
“I know there’s some concern around land instability, especially in Coromandel, where they’re getting so much rain.”
People tended to focus on rain levels but should also be aware of forecast gales, with “really blustery conditions” expected, Wotherspoon said. Further updates to watches and warnings were expected around 10am.
Heavy rain and gale-force winds are forecast throughout today, Thames-Coromandel District Council said on its Facebook page.
Civil Defence was advising people in the area to avoid non-essential travel this morning and check conditions before venturing out, the council said.
“With more than 4.4 metres of rain so far this year on the Coromandel - more than double the median annual rainfall - land instability is a major concern,” the council said.
Further south it’s wind wreaking havoc, with trucks being blown over, trees downed, and a plane being flipped.
Both SH56 and SH57 through the Manawatū district were closed after trucks rolled in two separate weather-related incidents.
At Kāpiti Airport, a small two-seater plane was flipped upside down by the whirling winds.
A Kapiti Aero Club spokesperson described it as a derelict plane that had been “picked up by the wind”.
MetService put out a strong wind watch in place for Manawatū, Horowhenua and Kāpiti through until 11pm on Friday.
It says southeast winds may also approach severe gale in exposed places in Waitomo, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupō, Taihape and Whanganui.
Cook Strait ferry crossings could be affected by the wild weather blasting the country.
Interislander has issued a weather alert for sailings over the next three days.
It says weather conditions are forecast to deteriorate between Friday and Sunday, with moderate to large seas expected. If sailings are impacted, customers will be “advised directly”.
In the meantime, Interislander has issued advice on how to deal with seasickness.
It’s recommended anyone worried about getting sick while navigating the choppy waters should sit towards the middle of the ship rather than the front, as that’s where the most movement is.
It says passengers shouldn’t sail on an empty stomach and should consider sipping ginger ale during the voyage.
Customers can also buy seasickness pills onboard the ferries.
Robin Hill retired at 58 and began collecting tractors, including a 1940s Fowler VF.