Severe weather is lashing the lower North Island and parts of the upper North Island, bringing heavy rain, flash flooding risks, strong winds, and road closures across the country on Saturday. Motorists are urged to take extra care as intense downpours create hazardous road conditions and surface flooding.
Wellington Flash Flooding and MetService Warnings
Heavy rain triggered reports of flooding across Wellington on Saturday. According to MetService, Kelburn and west Wellington received 40mm of rain in 30 minutes on Saturday morning. Meteorologist Paris Marshall stated that torrential rain was expected to move further northeast across the city during the afternoon, advising Wellington residents to stay alert. “40mm in half an hour can cause flash flooding, can cause streams to rise rapidly. Some decent sized hail is moving through as well so stay inside and wait as it passes,” she said. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Wellington on Saturday morning but has since been lifted.
North Auckland Wind Watch and Storm Risks
North Auckland is also facing severe weather threats, with a strong wind watch in place for Auckland and Great Barrier Island. Marshall indicated that wind is the biggest worry for Northland and Auckland, alongside possible storms. “Watch for those southwesterly winds. For those exposed places they will be getting potential gusts of 100kph, which is enough to flip a trampoline or take down power poles,” she explained. North Auckland is under a moderate thunderstorm risk, with any storms expected to produce heavy rain ranging from 10mm to 25mm per hour. MetService noted that the wind watch carries a moderate chance of upgrading to a warning. The Auckland Harbour Bridge was forecast to be battered by strong winds throughout Saturday, with NZTA warning that speed restrictions, lane reductions, and temporary full closures may be required if severe winds gust over 90km/h.
Central North Island Road Slips and Closures
Heavy rainfall overnight, combined with a 5.9 magnitude earthquake near Taumarunui on Saturday morning, caused several road slips and closures across the central North Island. State Highway 3 (SH3) through Awakino Gorge between Mokau and Piopio was closed due to a slip. State Highway 43 was also closed between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui, though it remained open between Stratford and Whangamōmona. NZTA advised travelers to avoid the area and delay their travel, noting that geotech crews were dispatched to the slip sites on Saturday morning to assess the roads.
National Road Snowfall Warnings
MetService issued multiple road snowfall warnings across the country on Saturday. The Desert Road section of SH1 is under a six-hour warning from 4pm to 10pm Saturday, where snow is expected to settle on the road with 2cm to 4cm possible near the summit. Lewis Pass on SH7 is under a six-hour warning from 9am to 3pm Saturday, with snow lowering to 600m and 1cm to 3cm possible on the road. Porters Pass on SH73 is under a four-hour warning from 9am to 1pm Saturday, where snow is expected to affect the road with 3cm to 5cm possible above 600m and lighter falls down to 400m.
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