According to the MetService, a front will move eastwards over the North Island on Friday (12 April), bringing a period of heavy rainfall. There is mostly a low to moderate risk of thunderstorms with the frontal rainfall as it moves over the north of the North Island. However, there is a moderate risk of localised downpours affecting Waikato, eastern Waitomo and Taumarunui, Taupo, Bay of Plenty about and west of Whakatane on Friday afternoon (12 April), and about Bay of Plenty east of Whakatane and northern Tairawhiti/Gisborne during the afternoon, evening and night. This Watch is for the potential of localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm/h in these areas.
• An orange Heavy Rain Warning has been issued for Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, The Bryant Range, also inland Marlborough west of Blenheim and north of the Awatere River.
• A Heavy Rain Watch has been issued for Auckland and eastern Waikato, Taupo, Mount Taranaki/Taranaki Maunga, Tasman northwest of Motueka and the Tararua Range
• A Strong Wind Watch is in place for Taihape, South Taranaki coast, coastal Whanganui, Manawatu and the Tararua District and the Coromandel Peninsula
• Detailed weather warnings can be accessed at https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home
• The weather system has triggered concerns in the north of the South Island, with Marlborough Civil Defence and Emergency Management advising 70 households in the township of Spring Creek near Blenheim to evacuate their homes by 0900 hours on Saturday (13 April).
• Heavy rainfall in the upper Wairau catchment was expected to raise water levels “significantly” at Wairau River on Saturday (13 April). At Spring Creek, the river was expected to reach between 3300 and 3600 cubic metres per second after 0900 hours.
• Residents of Dodson, Hathaway and March streets, and part of Ferry Rd, are advised to relocate as a precaution for the day. The Peninsula Rd stop bank was potentially compromised due to previous storm events and seismic activity. Peninsula Rd was closed between Gouland and Ferry roads in Spring Creek. Wairau Bar Rd, and Bothams Bend Rd may also be closed on Saturday (13 April).
• In Nelson, State Highway 6 Rocks Rd between Bisley Ave and Russell St is closed this evening due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen when the high tide period ends around 0200 hours on Saturday (13 April).
• In South Westland, SH6 between Ross and Haast were closed. Sections within that highway, between Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, were also closed or restricted. Access to the two glacier towns is likely to be cut off over the weekend before being reassessed at midday on Monday (15 April), the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) stated in an update.
• Fire and Emergency New Zealand also stated that it responded to a small number of weather-related call outs across the country since midday. In Auckland, firefighters responded to 18 incidents relating to high winds downing trees, powerlines, and roofs lifting.
• Air New Zealand has confirmed there have been 31 regional and five domestic jet flights have been cancelled as of 1100 hours on Friday (12 April). The airline’s chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty stated that many of the cancellations stemmed from weather and engineering issues.
• Additionally, a KiwiRail spokesperson confirmed that high flood waters had washed away one of the 34 piers on the 610m-long bridge over the Rangitata River. As a result, trains on the Main South Line have been stopped.
