Residents in storm-hit areas of Northland are clearing their gutters and battening down the hatches in case a tropical low strikes the top of the country.
MetService issued a strong wind watch for the Far North from Wednesday afternoon but had low confidence of warning amounts of rain falling in Northland.
On Tuesday, forecaster Gerard Bellam said while the low was not a tropical cyclone, it was still worth keeping an eye on because of the warm, windy and wet conditions it would bring.
The southeasterly winds might approach severe gale in exposed places up to 100km/h, with the strong wind watch set to impact all of the Far North on Wednesday from 1pm to 10pm.
The conditions would not be good for boating with heavy swells hitting Northland’s eastern coast, including the Bay of Islands and Whangārei, Bellam said.
The marine forecast warned of swells up to 4m in the Cape Brett area.
Northland would receive rain, with heavy falls expected on Wednesday afternoon before easing that night, Bellam said. There would also be spells of rain on Thursday and Friday, plus showers on Saturday, he said.
Ōakura resident and Civil Defence volunteer Kylie Rogers said locals wanted to be prepared in case heavy rain fell, and were cleaning out drains and making sure animals were safe.
“We’re definitely preparing.”
Heavy rain warnings from MetService might not be issued until the evening before an event, when it was too late to take action, she said.
Rogers said there were now better lines of communication between residents, spread from Ngaiotonga and Bland Bay to Helena Bay.
The seaside community had little warning when it was first hit by heavy thunderstorms on January 18, leading to flooding and slips.
The area was hit again on January 21, with heavy rain causing a giant slip at Helena Bay. The 110,000cu m slip closed the main access route and would take until at least June to clear.
Civil Defence Northland urged caution for those travelling during the wind watch and urged Northlanders to prepare for potential power cuts.
A number of people in the Whangaruru and Ōakura coast were feeling distressed about the weather, said Health NZ Māori health senior portfolio lead Lorraine Symons-Busby.
She attended community recovery hubs held at local marae from February 26 to 28, helping about 150 locals connect with available services. The hubs were also held earlier in February.
Symons-Busby said a wide range of locals took part, from those who were feeling distressed, to others who were resilient and reluctant to get help.
But she saw people getting worried about the weather.
“There’s a sense of distress and worry that the weather will impact them again.
“Every time it rains the anxiety levels go up.”
Symons-Busby said Mahitahi Hauora’s health improvement practitioners provided psychosocial support for low to moderate cases, including advice on coping with these stresses.
Ki A Ora Ngātiwai supplied pharmacy medication in the community twice a week, so patients did not have to drive so much, she said.
Phone and online GP consults were also available to reduce travel, she said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Development said it paid a total of $178,850 to Northlanders in 621 Civil Defence payments between January 29 and March 3, to help with urgent and essential needs such as food, clothing, bedding and loss of income.
This was on top of emergency payments from a joint Whangārei District Council-Government fund.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.