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Heavy rain has caused major flooding and slips across the Coromandel Peninsula, closing roads and cutting off access to Whitianga.
The Coromandel was the epicentre of the North Island’s bad weather on Thursday, with more heavy rain forecast to batter the area on Friday.
A heavy rain warning is in place as a subtropical storm sweeps through. People have been warned to either head home or be prepared to shelter in place until Sunday.
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Water has been flowing over the bridge at Hikuai on the road to Pauanui.
Holidaymakers have left some camping grounds in Northland and Coromandel Peninsula.
In Auckland, MetService had recorded 12.6mm of rain by 7.30am and had forecast a total of 62mm to fall throughout the day.
A number of ferry sailings around Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour were delayed or replaced by taxis due to the weather conditions on Thursday, according to Auckland Transport.
“In addition to the 50 to 70mm that have already accumulated expect a further 140 to 180mm [of rain],” MetService said in its warning for the Coromandel Peninsula.
“While in Northland the worst of the rain has now eased, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty are in line for a lot more wet weather in the coming days,” MetService’s Jessie Owen said.
“A further 140 to 200 mm of rain is expected in the Coromandel, and 180 to 240 mm for parts of the Bay of Plenty.
“A brief reprieve in the severe weather will come towards the end of the weekend, but for those wondering when summer is returning, you’ll have to wait a little longer,” Owen said.
A large high pressure system parked to the east of the Chatham Islands is blocking the low from making much progress across the country, resulting in a prolonged period of rain for New Zealanders, Owen said.
Heavy rain warnings were also in effect in the South Island, for Tasman northwest of Motueka until 11am Friday and the ranges of Westland south of Otira until 4am Friday.
Hayes said the rain was set to continue into the weekend and a cold front would move its way up the country from the south over the next couple of days.
The nice weather over Christmas was to blame, he said, with high pressure system sitting off to the east of the country and not moving, preventing the bad weather from moving off.
Holiday and festival plans thrown into disarray
On Wednesday, the Thames-Coromandel District Council told locals and visitors to “err on the side of caution” and seek safety in a secure location – or even head home.
“The accumulation of rain by Saturday could see surface flooding, slips, road closures and power issues, so it is worth hatching a plan today to ensure no-one is stuck or isolated,” Thames-Coromandel Civil Defence Controller Garry Towler said earlier.
Stuff understands many people packed up and left Cooks Beach as rain poured down on the Coromandel campsite. Meanwhile, in Northland, Whangaruru Beachfront Camp and Motel owner Robynne Cooper on Wednesday said “hardly anyone is left” after strong winds and rain hit the campsite.
Others have found themselves out of pocket due to the weather too. A Coromandel tour operator has had to cancel hundreds of summer bookings due to the weather warnings, and two Wellington siblings are $1000 down after a festival was cancelled less than 24 hours from kick-off.
Wet weather across the motu
MetService forecaster Aidan Pyselman said almost nowhere would escape the bad weather this week.
The culprit was a low – a region of air that spirals inwards, bringing wet and windy weathers – sitting in the north of the Tasman Sea.
It couldn’t progress and move away from New Zealand because a high pressure system east of the Chatham Islands had “kind of just parked” there, blocking the low from moving.
It meant wet weather across the motu for at least the rest of the week, and potentially next week too.
“The top of the country is seeing the worst of it at this stage,” Pyselman said.
“There might be some reprieve in the north on Saturday, and it looks like we’ve got another little low starting up early next week.”
How’s the weather been where you are? Let us know in the comments.
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