Two dead after water incident on Ripirō Beach

Source: Radio New Zealand Rāhui from the Glinks Gully entrance to Mahuta Gap Police Two people have died following a water related incident on Ripirō Beach between Mahuta Gap and Glinks Gully on Saturday. Police were called about 6.50pm on Saturday with a report that two men could be seen struggling in the water. Police … Read more

Rāhui, Mahuta Gap

Source: New Zealand Police Two people have died following a water related incident on Ripirō Beach between Mahuta Gap and Glinks Gully yesterday. Police were called about 6.50pm with a report that two men could be seen struggling in the water. Police and other emergency services responded immediately, and the men were pulled from the … Read more

Weather: Dozens evacuated as heavy rain hits East Coast

Source: Radio New Zealand Julia Sudnitskaya / 123RF Eighty evacuees are spending the night at Tolaga Bay Area School, which has been opened as a Civil Defence base because of heavy flooding in Tai Rāwhiti. Surface flooding, slips and downed trees have led to the closure of State Highway 35 between Wainui Beach and Tolaga … Read more

Motorists in Gisborne urged to avoid non-essential travel due to heavy rain

Source: Radio New Zealand Motorists in Gisborne are advised to avoid non-essential travel. mrtwister/123RF Police are urging motorists in the Gisborne area to avoid non-essential travel due to heavy rain and surface flooding in the region. A severe thunderstorm warning is in place from Tolaga Bay to Gisborne and up to 170mm of rain is … Read more

Multiple injured after Northland crash

Source: Radio New Zealand Delays are to be expected as emergency services work at the scene. NZ Police / Supplied Motorists travelling between Northland and Auckland faced long delays on Saturday afternoon after a crash closed the main highway. The two-vehicle crash was reported around 12.45pm on Saturday. Several people were injured, after a ute … Read more

Large tree falls on house in Auckland suburb during thunderstorm

Source: Radio New Zealand A large tree fell on a house during a thunderstorm. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Fire and Emergency says a large tree has fallen onto a home on Auckland’s North Shore during a sudden thunderstorm. Emergency services were called to the suburb of Hillcrest shortly after 5pm. A FENZ spokesperson said the … Read more

Lane blocked, SH 20, Māngere Bridge

Source: New Zealand Police One northbound lane of State Highway 20, Māngere Bridge is blocked following an incident this evening. Police were notified of the incident where a person has received serious injuries, near Hastie Avenue, around 6.50pm. There is no threat to the public, however motorists should expect delays. ENDS MIL OSI

Gisborne motorists urged to avoid travel and take care

Source: New Zealand Police Motorists around Gisborne are being urged to avoid non-essential travel as heavy rain and surface flooding affects roads across the region. Multiple reports of surface flooding are coming in and several roads have been closed. Police are urging anyone who must travel to exercise extreme care, especially as night falls. Please … Read more

Lulu Sun pulls out of ASB Classic

Source: Radio New Zealand Lulu Sun has had to withdraw from next week’s ASB Classic. Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse/Photosport New Zealand tennis star Lulu Sun has had to withdraw from next week’s ASB Classic with a wrist injury. Sun was expected to be one of the big attractions for the tournament, but she said she was battling … Read more

Abortion numbers rise since decriminalisation and launch of telehealth services

Source: Radio New Zealand Magma Healthcare director Simon Snook said the increase likely coincided with the launch of DECIDE, the National Abortion Telehealth Service. IGOR STEVANOVIC / SCIENCE PHOTO A sexual and reproductive health specialist says a recent rise in abortion numbers reflects improved access to care rather than an increase in demand. There has … Read more

Nurses pay tribute to Dame Poutasi

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation The passing of Dame Karen Poutasi has seen Aotearoa lose one of its foremost health leaders and a woman of high integrity, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says. “Dame Karen was an extraordinary woman who led from the front. She was principled, devoted and deeply committed to … Read more

Weather: More than 1000 homes without power as storms lash North Island

Source: Radio New Zealand Heavy rain to hit North Island’s east coast. Unsplash / Erik Witsoe More than a thousand homes are without power in the upper North Island as a series of short and intense thunderstorms move across the region. Power Co reported an outage affecting over 1300 properties in the Waikato town of … Read more

Boatie captures waterspout in Whangārei Harbour

Source: Radio New Zealand A Northland boatie captured a waterspout in Whangārei Harbour. Chris Howe A Northland boatie has captured a waterspout on camera as he was sailing out of Whangārei Harbour. Chris Howe told RNZ on Saturday afternoon he could see a thunderstorm heading towards his vessel from the west. “There was lots of … Read more

ManageMyHealth says code fixed, security tightened after hack

Source: Radio New Zealand Supplied The operators of compromised patient data app ManageMyHealth say they have received “independent confirmation” from IT experts the flaws in its code have been fixed. ManageMyHealth confirmed last week it had identified a security incident involving “unauthorised access” to its platform. It believed between 6 and 7 percent of the … Read more

Police ask for public help to identify man in Queenstown

Source: Radio New Zealand Police believe the man pictured may be able to help with enquires into an assault on Ballarat Street. NZ Police Police are asking the public to help identify a man who was on Ballarat Street in Queenstown in the early hours of Thursday 1 January. The police believe the man pictured … Read more

First supermoon of 2026 to light up New Zealand skies

Source: Radio New Zealand A supermoon from 2025. Dr Brenda Midson / SUPPLIED Stargazers can expect to see the first supermoon of the new year on Saturday night if skies are clear. Dr Ryan Ridden from the University of Canterbury said a supermoon is when a full moon at its closest point to Earth. He … Read more

How State Highway 94 to Milford Sound is made safe for its million visitors

Source: Radio New Zealand [embedded content] A helicopter swoops over the mountains above the Milford Road and drops explosives. Snow and ice cascade down, and when everything has settled, the area is much safer for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will use the road below. Each year, close to one million visitors travel … Read more

Waikato motorists reminded to drive to the conditions

Source: New Zealand Police Motorists in the Waikato district are reminded to slow down in this wet weather and drive to the conditions. Police have responded to a number of crashes across the Waikato area today, especially on the rural roads. Thankfully, these have been minor. With the wet weather, the roads are extremely slippery … Read more

No injuries after helicopter crashes at Whangamata airfield

Source: Radio New Zealand Police said initial indications suggest there are no injuries. 123RF Police have been made aware of a Helicopter crash at Whangamata airfield. “Initial indications suggest there are no injuries,” police said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every … Read more

Weather: North Island braces for the next wave of heavy rain

Source: Radio New Zealand Heavy rain to hit North Island’s east coast. Unsplash / Erik Witsoe The bad weather has spread north, with thunderstorm warnings in the eastern North Island cancelled but new ones in place for the Far North. MetService early on Saturday afternoon issued a thunderstorm warning for Whangarei, saying it had detected … Read more

Multiple injured, road closed after Northland crash

Source: Radio New Zealand Delays are to be expected as emergency services work at the scene. NZ Police / Supplied The south side of the Brynderwyns was closed following a serious crash which has left multiple people injured. The two-vehicle crash was reported around 12.45pm on Saturday. Police have said initial indications are that multiple … Read more

Owner of ‘abandoned’ bike left near Lake Ōhau identified

Source: Radio New Zealand Police are concerned about the owner of a bike left near Lake Ōhau. Police/Facebook Police were concerned about the owner of a bike left near Lake Ōhau in the South Island for several days, but have since identified the owner. The bike had been at the Temple Campsite shelter off Lake … Read more

Serious crash, SH1, Brynderwyn

Source: New Zealand Police The south side of the Brynderwyns is closed following a serious crash. The two-vehicle crash was reported about 12.45pm today. Initial indications are that multiple people are injured, some seriously. Motorists should expect delays while emergency services work at the scene. Southbound traffic is diverted through Waipu. Northbound traffic is diverted … Read more

Police seek public’s help solving unexplained Devonport death

Source: Radio New Zealand Officers were called to the property on Kerr Street about 11pm on Thursday. RNZ / Nate McKinnon Police are appealing to the public for information about an unexplained death in Auckland’s Devonport on New Year’s Day. Officers were called to the property on Kerr Street about 11pm on Thursday. Detective Senior … Read more

Police wrap up examination of Bay of Plenty property where two bodies found in different houses

Source: Radio New Zealand A 50-year-old man faces charges of assault on a family member. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly Bay of Plenty police have wrapped up the scene examination of a property where two bodies were found in separate houses. Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson says officers found the body of a woman at the … Read more

Ambulance crash leaves one critically injured

Source: Radio New Zealand The St John ambulance had two officers on board, transporting a patient in a moderate condition St John One person was critically injured in a crash between an ambulance and a car in Northland on Friday night. Emergency services were called to Cove Road in Waipu around 7.50pm. The St John … Read more

Appeal to public following Devonport death

Source: New Zealand Police Police investigating an unexplained death in Devonport are seeking help from the public. Emergency services were called to the Kerr Street address around 11pm on 1 January to discover a person deceased at the scene. Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting says a scene examination at the property is ongoing, and people … Read more