Stormy weather overnight caused flooding and lightning strikes in the Wellington region, and cut electricity to more than 1000 homes in the lower North Island.
Torrential rain flooded the Petone Working Men's Club rooms. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The storm brought high winds and heavy rain to the lower North Island, and lightning strikes to the capital.
The Petone Working Men's Club is closed after torrential rain flooded the clubrooms last night.
Manager Aaron Kirby said within half an hour of the water starting to come into the club rooms it was was four inches deep.
"It was rushing in the door. We just grabbed all our sandbags ... started sandbagging as much as we could."
Some roads in the Wellington region were closed and many were partially covered with slips and fallen trees:
- Paekakariki Hill Road - closed due to fallen trees
- Makara Road, Makara - tree down and slip almost covering both lanes - the road is still open but care is needed.
- Takarau Gorge Road between Johnsonville and Makara Beach - big slip.
- Devon St, Aro Valley - large branch down covering one lane.
- Lonsdale Cres, Kilbirnie - slip spilling out onto the road and up against a car.
- A slip has left only one lane open on Haywards Heath Rd (SH58) near the intersection with Old Haywards Rd.
- The Transport Agency is asking motorists to take care on the Rimutaka Hill Road and State Highway 2 between Ngauranga and Melling, and at Petone.
More than 1000 properties across Taranaki, Whanganui and Raglan had power cut, mostly due to fallen trees on the lines, Powerco said.
Taranaki was the worst hit with more than 500 homes without power.
Powerco operations manager Phil Marsh said it hoped most properties would be restored by the end of the day.
Floodwaters cover the floor of the Petone Working Men's Club yesterday Photo: Facebook / Petone Working Men's Clu
The cleanup at the Petone Working Men's Club Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
About 60 homes in Upper Hutt were without power because of slips on Akatawara Road.
MetService said heavy showers and possibly thunderstormsin the north and west of the North Island during the day.
Rain falling this morning, Photo: MetService
Heavy rain warnings are in place for Westland, Buller, Nelson, the Marlborough Sounds and Richmond Ranges, the Tararua Range, eastern ranges of Bay of Plenty and the ranges of Gisborne.
Lightning strikes in the Capital this morning, with a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in force. This watch will ease but thunderstorms are expected to continue in Kapiti, Taranaki and Waitomo today so be sure to keep up to date with the latest warnings here https://t.co/qHyE5zhh6X ^KL pic.twitter.com/f9rJOTwddE
— MetService (@MetService) July 8, 2018
On the West Coast, SH6 Murchison to Inangahua Junction (SH69) was closed overnight because of high river levels.
In Marlborough, SH63 Renwick was closed between the intersection with SH6 and Anglesea Street due to flooding.
