A severe thunderstorm watch issued for Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Gisborne has expired as crews begin to clear some slips and debris from roads across the network.
Yesterday, MetService issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula which expired at midnight, as a heavy rain band lashed the North Island.
This morning, the forecaster warned of more rain with heavy falls expected in the Bay of Plenty and the far north of Gisborne, issuing a watch that expired at 10am.
Thames Coromandel District Council said some roads remain blocked today due to slips, downed trees and debris.
Travellers were urged to take extra care on the roads today following heavy rain yesterday and overnight.
The following roads in Coromandel were still impacted:
- SH25a Kōpu to Hikuai has a slip on it, partially blocking one lane, NZTA crews are onsite
- Surface flooding on Hikuai Settlement Rd and Hot Water Beach Rd
- Tairua River flooded at about 3am, with SH25 near Prescott’s garage closed briefly; however with the favourable tide this has now reopened.
- Kauaeranga river hit a maximum of 8.5m overnight, triggering a first-stage alarm; however, the level is now dropping.
The district council said 156mm of rain was recorded at the Pinnacles, and the Pinnacles Hut was closed overnight due to weather.
As of 8am, many of the other watches and warnings issued by MetService earlier in the week had expired.
An orange heavy rain warning remained in effect for Bay of Plenty east of Kawerau and Gisborne Tairāwhiti north of Tokomaru bay and a strong wind watch for Gisborne Tairāwhiti, Mahia Peninsula and the Chatham Islands.
Bay of Plenty Civil defence said online it was aware of some “unplanned power outages around the region due to the weather and [we] know that there are various site investigations underway”.
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“There’s also been a few reports of surface flooding and trees coming down. We ask that if you notice any trees down, or other storm related damage, please report them to your local council,” it said.
“MetService New Zealand warnings remain in place, so we ask that people remain vigilant as they travel to work or school, and be aware of potential poor visibility, surface flooding, slips or difficult driving conditions.”
