Communities have been cut off in parts of the central North Island today with torrential rain causing widespread flooding, slips, and road closures.
The New Zealand Transport Agency said sections of State Highway 3, State Highway 4, State Highway 30, State Highway 31, and State Highway 43 had been closed by slips and surface flooding.
The agency said closures on State Highway 30 and State Highway 31 would remain in place overnight.
Several state highways closed by floodwaters and slips after downpours hit harder than anticipated. (Source: 1News)
“Crews are actively working on SH31 with diggers, trucks and arborists onsite. Work will resume tomorrow to ensure the road can be safely reopened.”
Parts of State Highway 30 remained flooded, and would only reopen once water levels receded and it was safe to do so, the agency added.
Communities evacuated, cut off after month’s worth of rain in single day, watch on TVNZ+
It also advised people to delay travel through Taranaki at least until tomorrow morning when the situation would be reassessed.
Ruapehu District Council partially activated its emergency operations centre on Monday, but had since stepped it down to a level one response after a meeting with its Civil Defence headquarters in Palmerston North on Tuesday afternoon.
It was a busy morning for farmers in Ōhura as heavy rain caused surface flooding. (Source: Michelle Potts) (Source: Supplied)
The council said the worst of the weather looked to have passed over the northern Ruapehu area but a narrow southerly band was expected to bring more rain to the Taumarunui area over the next few hours.
“The weather event has left behind a big clean-up on local roads and state highways with multiple slips and blocked roads.
“River levels are expected to continue to rise slightly before beginning to drop but not cause any additional issues.”
The council said its recovery focus over the coming days would be on the roading network. People were asked to be patient as contractors moved around the district to clear slips.
Ōhura, Maitere and Tokorima townships were currently isolated by slips and flooding across local access roads.
“Regional Civil Defence headquarters in Palmerston North has advised that the heavier rainfall currently passing over the district is expected to mitigate through the morning with a swing to a southerly direction later in the day,” said Ruapehu controller Clive Manley.
There had been reports of houses in Ōhura under flood threat, and a family in Maitere had self-evacuated, he said.
“Ruapehu Civil Defence is being supported in the response by the Regional Civil Defence headquarters in Palmerston North including with staff at the EOC.”
Some Ruapehu water treatment plants had stopped operating due to the churn of sediment from high rivers but there were no concerns with supplies as reservoirs were meeting demand.
Manley said Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell had been in contact to offer necessary support.
“People are asked to continue to avoid any unnecessary travel as the weather system passes through.”
The gorge more resembles a giant muddy lake after massive rainfall hit the area. (Source: Other)
Road closures
A section of State Highway 3 through the Awakino Gorge was blocked by multiple slips and flooding, leaving parts of the road impassable and some vehicles stranded.
Police said some truck drivers had opted to remain with their vehicles, which could not be turned around.
“Motorists are urged not to travel through the gorge area until the slips can be cleared,” a police spokesperson said.
Just north of Tokoroa, a vehicle was stuck in flood waters on Old Taupō Road between Wiltsdown and Matanuku roads. Police said the vehicle’s occupants were safely out of the vehicle but motorists were advised to avoid the area due to the high flood waters.
SH4 was closed between Eight Mile Junction and Taumarunui. SH30 was also closed between Kopaki Rd and Benneydale village, with a narrow and winding detour via Mangaokewa Rd. SH31 was closed between Ngutuni Rd and Okupata Rd, with a detour in place that was unsuitable for heavy vehicles.
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SH43 Forgotten World Highway was closed from Whangamōmona to Taumarunui. Access remained open from Stratford to Whangamōmona.
NZTA urged drivers to reduce speed, increase following distances, avoid sudden braking, and use headlights in poor visibility.
An orange heavy rain warning remained in place for the region until 12pm, with MetService forecasting up to 60mm of rain before midday in areas including Waitomo and the Waikato south of Raglan and Cambridge.
Warnings were also active for the eastern ranges of Bay of Plenty until 5pm, with a heavy rain watch in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, and Waikato about and north of Raglan to Cambridge (until 2pm), and Taumarunui and Taupō (until 11am).
The South Island wasn’t spared dramatic weather, with a hailstorm striking the Tasman region today.
Photos sent to 1News showed a large amount of hail blanketing the ground in Spring Grove, near Wakefield.
MetService said 140mm of rain fell in parts of the Waikato region in the 24 hours up to 4pm today. Taumarunui (61.2mm, previously 49.8 mm) and Taupō (59.8 mm, previously 59.6 mm) both copped their wettest October day on record in the period up to 9am today.
The meteorologial agency said most of the North Island would have a chance to dry out on Wednesday, apart from a few isolated showers. “But for Westland, Grey, and Buller districts, heavy showers are possible in the afternoon and evening.”
