Source: Northland Regional Council
Advisory issued on behalf of Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group
UPDATE 01; MARCH WEATHER EVENT
Hi all,
Just a quick update you on the weather situation as of 0830hrs today (Thursday 26 March).
We’ve seen consistent rain overnight, including some heavy falls across much of the region.
The heaviest rainfall so far has been along the East Coast around Kaeo and the Bay of Islands, and there is more to come today.
The Red and Orange Heavy Rain Warnings, as well as the Strong Wind Warning issued by MetService New Zealand, remain in place until the early hours of tomorrow morning.
These warnings will be reviewed later this morning, but the key period of concern is still today through to Friday morning.
The rainfall forecast is still likely to bring: dangerous river conditions, flooding, slips and landslides, Hazardous driving conditions, and road closures in some areas
This remains an evolving situation, so please continue to keep up to date with the latest information from MetService and your local and regional councils.
Weather warnings: https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home#upper-north
Overnight rainfall stats (4:00pm 25 March – 6:30am 26 March)
The highest rainfall totals have been recorded on the East Coast:
– Touwai at Weta: 152 mm
– Kerikeri at BOI Golf Club: 121 mm
– Waitangi at Wairoa Road: 100 mm
Many rivers in the Far North are running at high levels, with some still rising. (High tide on the east coast is early this afternoon.)
If you’re travelling through Kaeo or Waimate North this morning, please take extra care. The Kaeo River has reached a level where flooding on SH10 is possible.
NZTA’s page for the official status before heading out: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway…/northland or follow NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi – Northland
There are already a number of State Highway closures and there are likely to be more, as well as local road closures. Crews will work to clear these as quickly as possible, but please allow for delays.
If you come across any local roading issues or storm related damage on public property, please report it through to your local council:
There are a number of isolated power outages around the region. Northpowerand Top Energy NZ crews will be out today working to resolve these issues as soon as they can, but this may take some time.
Check the latest outages here:
– Northpower: https://northpower.nz/outages/
– Top Energy NZ: https://outages.topenergy.co.nz/
Northland Civil Defence works across the councils to provide local welfare support. If centres or marae are open to provide support, they will be published on the district council websites.
If you need welfare support, please ring your local district council.
Whangarei District Council | Phone: 0800 932 463 | Website: www.wdc.govt.nz
Far North District Council | Phone: 0800 920 029 | Website: www.fndc.govt.nz
Kaipara District Council | Phone: 0800 727 059 | Website: www.kaipara.govt.nz
Finally, some key reminders for today:
- Do not enter floodwaters: it only takes a small amount of moving water to knock you off your feet or sweep a vehicle away.
- Avoid unnecessary travel over this period. Conditions may deteriorate quickly, and roads may close with little warning.
- Be prepared to self evacuate if you see rising water, feel unsafe, or notice conditions worsening.
- Be aware of landslide risks, and keep well away from areas that have recently been affected by slips or landslides. If you notice cracks in the ground, tilting trees or power poles, unusual noises, or rapid changes in stream levels, leave immediately.
- If at any time you feel you, your whānau, or your property are at immediate risk, please call emergency services on 111
Civil Defence will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates here as more information becomes available.
If you can, stay home today, and if you are travelling, please drive to the conditions.
