The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Live: Flooding, slips expected over the next few days, people warned to prepare

NZ Herald
16 Aug, 2022 01:11 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Gaurav Sharma's job on the line as PM calls caucus meeting, secret cameras record 50,000 Auckland drivers unlawfully using phones & significant rain forecast right through to the weekend. Video / NZ Herald

The South Island is facing a rare red warning from MetService, with some areas at risk of almost a metre of rainfall over the coming days as a "significant rain event" sweeps the region.

Communities could be cut off by the severe flooding expected with the heavy rainfall and MetService says rivers will be dangerous.

The red warning is in place for Westland from Tuesday morning through to Thursday afternoon.

RED WARNING

In consultation with local councils, MetService has upgraded Rain Warnings for Buller and Westland to Red Rain Warnings. Red Warnings are reserved for only the most extreme weather events where significant impact and disruption is expected.https://t.co/qHyE5zzql5 pic.twitter.com/5wra58JI6X

— MetService (@MetService) August 16, 2022

Red warnings are reserved for only the most extreme weather events, when serious disruption is expected.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Forecasters are warning people across the country to brace for serious flooding and hazardous slips as multiple weather warnings are dished out.

WeatherWatch said this morning the northwest corner of the South Island could see between 500mm and 800 mm of rain over the next five days, possibly more.

⚠️🚨VIDEO: #Updated Rainfall totals as significant rain event affects parts of NZ https://t.co/e3IVxA8Uvt via @weatherwatchnz

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) August 15, 2022

The upper North Island and Auckland are now included in the weather warnings, with heavy rain and strong wind expected from Wednesday.

Northland is a similar story, with up to 140mm to 180mm of rain forecast and winds of up to 120km/h.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The ridge of high pressure that brought mostly calm weather over the weekend is forecast to be replaced with a complex trough of low pressure, preceded by a moist northerly flow.

The northern and western parts of the South Island were expected to take the first hit of bad weather overnight last night. MetService meteorologist David Miller said that the area could expect more than half a metre of rainfall.

"Significant impacts can be expected, such as slips, flooding and rapidly rising rivers and streams.

"This event is exceptional not just in its accumulation amounts, but also its prolonged nature, with heavy rain expected to continue in these areas right up until Thursday evening.

⚠️ A long-lived atmospheric river (AR) will make landfall in the South Island on Tuesday, intensify Wednesday-Thursday & last into the weekend.

This will lead to flooding, slips & washouts with well over a month's worth of rain, especially in the northern & western South Island. pic.twitter.com/sNvE5T2jk9

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) August 15, 2022

"This is expected to be a significant weather event, especially for places where soil moisture content is high due to recent rain."

'Well over a month's worth of rain'

Niwa Weather experts say a long-lived atmospheric river will make landfall in the South Island today and will intensify from tomorrow through to Thursday and last throughout the weekend.

"This will lead to flooding, slips and washouts with well over a month's worth of rain, especially in the northern and western South Island."

Niwa meteorologist Tristan Meyers said the "river" is exceptional as it's long lasting and has a " very anomalously large moisture content".

"Current forecast models indicate that this would be classified as an 'extreme' to 'exceptional' atmospheric river."

Orange or heavy rain warnings have been issued by MetService for Buller, Tasman, Westland, Marlborough Sounds and Mt Taranaki.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

North Island areas are also in line for severe weather, Metservice forecasts. The front is anticipated to travel on to the North Island later in the week, with heavy rain forecast in several areas.

Elevated areas such as Mt Taranaki, the Tararua Range and Central Plateau mountains are especially at risk of seeing impacts from heavy rain.

Here's the latest Severe Weather Outlook
Valid from Tuesday to Friday.
Full details https://t.co/ePtVj8v6Kx pic.twitter.com/a1ACDSvJbo

— MetService (@MetService) August 15, 2022

Additionally, a strong wind watch is currently in effect for Northland, Auckland, and Great Barrier Island due to strong north-to-northeasterly winds.

Forecasters have said that another front may deliver yet more heavy rain to the western sections of the South Island this weekend.

On a slightly more positive note, they said, the frosty temperatures observed last week will be a distant memory, with temperatures expected to be warmer than average.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Over 1200 exhibitions to open at Fieldays 2025

09 Jun 05:03 AM
The Country

Sam Carter wins Hawke's Bay Young Grower title

09 Jun 04:17 AM
The Country

Rebecca Fisher wins lifetime achievement award for horticulture leadership

09 Jun 03:28 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Over 1200 exhibitions to open at Fieldays 2025

Over 1200 exhibitions to open at Fieldays 2025

09 Jun 05:03 AM

'Fieldays is our home for four days each year. A space for connection and celebration.'

Sam Carter wins Hawke's Bay Young Grower title

Sam Carter wins Hawke's Bay Young Grower title

09 Jun 04:17 AM
Rebecca Fisher wins lifetime achievement award for horticulture leadership

Rebecca Fisher wins lifetime achievement award for horticulture leadership

09 Jun 03:28 AM
'It means a lot': Hunting contest's crucial role in rural rescue

'It means a lot': Hunting contest's crucial role in rural rescue

09 Jun 03:00 AM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP