7 Feb 2022

Heavy rain warnings extended for parts of North Island

11:10 pm on 7 February 2022

A slow-moving front continues to affect eastern and northern areas.

Rain generic, umbrella, raining

Photo: 123RF

Orange warnings are still in force for Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty about and east of Whakatāne, Gisborne, and Hawke's Bay north of Napier.

A trough is expected to bring rain to the west coast of the South Island on Wednesday, and a heavy rain watch is now also in force for Buller and Westland.

People are advised to keep up to date with the latest warnings and watches.

Contractors have been out today in several areas throughout the North Island, clearing slips and unblocking drains.

The cleanup in Taranaki has been in full swing, after New Plymouth experienced as much rainfall in four hours yesterday, as it would typically receive in the whole of July.

Heavy rain warnings for the area were lifted this morning as river levels dropped, but some roads in the region remain closed.

The South Taranaki District Council asked people to avoid driving if possible, and to take extra care if they do have to travel.

"Significant damage has been caused to the district's road network. Further rain (throughout the week and into next weekend) may exacerbate the damage and hinder clean-up work," the council update said.

There has been flooding at Rahotu School, west of Mt Taranaki, and council building inspectors were out assessing damage at the the school and several other properties people had self-evacuated from.

Wastewater overflows meant warning signs were up telling people not to touch the water or eat seafood from the sea at many places in the district.

MetService said 191mm of rain fell in Hāwera across Saturday and Sunday, where the average February rainfall is 73mm.

Over the same two days 485mm fell on Taranaki Maunga, 470mm fell at Cape Egmont, 221mm at Stratford, 235mm at Inglewood, and almost 220mm fell at Patea.

A bridge on Parihaka Road remains "overtopped with flood water", and will be closed until an engineering assessment can be done. Tangahoe Valley Road is partly closed, but anyone using it is urged to take "extreme care".

New Plymouth District Council said sewage has overflowed into a stormwater manhole and discharged into a tributary of the Waiongana Stream, posing a potential danger to public health.

Signs have been erected at the end of Konini Street, warning against gathering shellfish.

People are being urged to treat floodwaters as contaminated and stay out of waterways for at least three days.

Meanwhile, motorists on the Coromandel Peninsula are being warned to be extremely careful on the roads today because of slips and surface flooding.

And repair crews have been restoring electricity to suburbs in Auckland, after outages overnight.

A boil water notice has been issued for Eketahuna in the Tararua District because of the weekend's high rainfall.

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