Source: Radio New Zealand
A number of communities, including Pāuatahanui in Porirua, are cleaning up following flash flooding this weekend, and more rain and stormy weather is expected. RNZ / Krystal Gibbens
MetService says a low pressure system will continue to bring bands of rain with heavy localised downpours to parts of the North Island and the top of the South Island overnight from Sunday through Monday – including some places already hit by heavy rain and flooding this weekend.
Heavy rain and flooding in the weekend led to states of local emergency declared in the small town of Ōhura, Ruapehu District as well as the Whanganui District.
Multiple roads and highways were closed across the North Island due to flooding and slips.
Flooding in Ōhura, a town in the Ruapehu District, on Sunday. Supplied / Mike Crowley
On Sunday evening, an orange warning for heavy rain was in place for the Hutt Valley, wider Wellington Region south of Tawa, Wairarapa, Tararua ranges and southern Tararua District – for 31 hours from 11 am on Monday.
Falls of up to 120mm were expected, but could be up to 250mm about the ranges, and peak rates of 40mm/h were possible in localised areas.
Ōhura. Supplied / Mike Crowley
Parts of the South Island – in and around the Kaikōura Coast and ranges, as well as North Canterbury ranges east of Lake Sumner – could see nearly 130mm of rain between 10pm Sunday night and 11pm Monday.
Meteorologist Katie Lyons said a swirling low pressure system to the west of motu was tracking eastward across the country overnight.
“As that low – tonight and tomorrow – tracks eastwards, winds will flip around south-easterly and that’s why we’re seeing those eastern regions like Wairarapa and the Kaikōura coast under those heavy rain warnings.
“As those winds flip around we’ll get rain continuing there as well as periods of heavy rain. Often when we get the combination of the longer lived rainfall with periods of heavy falls that’s when we see those impacts,” Lyons said.
Forecasters tell people to stay up to date: “Still plenty of severe weather”
Lyons said the localised heavy falls could bring surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions to affected areas. She encouraged people to keep watch on their local forecasts.
“It’s quite dependant on where you are. For some places the worst has past but others are in the thick of it – or on the tail end of the thick of it. There’s still plenty of severe weather about,” Lyons said.
Lyons said further south snow “dusting the hills” could be expected as rain clears on Monday.
As of 5pm, a Road Snowfall Warning was in place for State Highway 73, Porters Pass overnight from 7pm on Monday with snow in some showers – expected as low as 800m, bringing up to three centimetres of snow to the area.
“For the most part it’s just going to be something that people can see once the clouds clear out. It’s not really caused much impact, unless they’re driving on those higher level roads,” Lyon said. “Just a nice one to see some early snows on the hills,”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
