13 Jun 2022

Wild weather traffic update

From Morning Report, 6:08 am on 13 June 2022

Wild weather has thrashed the country over the weekend, leaving floods, tornadoes, hail and damage in it's path.

There is nowhere to hide from it with 38 weather warnings and watches across the motu.

Two hundred households in the area of Reikorangi, east of Waikanae, are without power after a tree fell on a power line.

Another 230 in Otaki are also in the dark this morning. Two tornadoes blasted through Waikanae yesterday afternoon, tearing down fences and powerlines, while heavy rain left parts of the roads underwater.

It is similar story in Taranaki where hundreds of people are without power.

State Highway 1 near Marton is closed due to flooding.

On Monday high winds are set to batter Northland and Auckland - Waka Kotahi says that might mean a closure for the Harbour Bridge.

The west of the North Island is forecast to get hit with heavy rain, turning into snow for the Desert Road.

Further south towards the capital, people are being warned to brace for more thunderstorms, possible tornadoes, high swells, and high winds.

It's much of the same in the South Island, with the addition of snow fall along Lewis Pass which is now closed, as is Lindis, Haast, Burkes Pass, State Highway 73 Springfield to Arthurs Pass, and State Highway 94 Te Anau to Milford, with updates expected throughout the morning.

State Highway 6 into the Upper Buller Gorge is closed due to a slip.

Mark Owen from Waka Kotahi spoke to Morning Report.