Weather-weary North Islanders are being warned that much worse conditions are yet to come, with severe rain and wind forecasts prompting emergency measures across parts of the region.
According to a report by 1News, Whangārei District has declared a precautionary state of emergency for the next seven days as persistent and intense rainfall continues to affect the upper North Island. Multiple weather warnings are in place, with more widespread rain expected to move south from tomorrow.
1News weather presenter Dan Corbett warned the situation was escalating, saying: "We've had a garden hose of rain, now we'll have a fire hose."
MetService said a strong and humid easterly flow would bring further downpours to the upper North Island on Tuesday, with bands of heavy rain spreading south on Wednesday.
In an update on Tuesday afternoon, the forecaster said strong easterly winds were expected ahead of the rain, with Northland and the Coromandel Peninsula having their heavy rain warnings extended through until Thursday. Both regions now have a high chance of being upgraded to a red warning, as reported. yesterday 1News.
The Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua and Gisborne north of Tokomaru Bay, has also been added to the warning list. Heavy rain watches remain in place for Auckland and Great Barrier Island, Waikato, Waitomo and Taupō, Tasman and Nelson, Buller and Grey, Westland, and Canterbury.
Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper said emergency declarations were extremely rare and were made as a precaution given existing damage and the risk of further severe weather.
"The communities of Ōakura, Whangaruru South and Whangaruru North and surrounding areas have been significantly impacted already with potential for further impacts from the incoming weather," 1News has quoted.
A strong wind watch has been issued for Auckland and Great Barrier Island, Waikato, the Coromandel Peninsula, and Waitomo and Taupō, with MetService warning easterly winds could approach severe gale force in exposed places.
A low-pressure system originating from the tropics is expected to move towards New Zealand from tomorrow, though MetService said its path and strength were "very uncertain".
In Northland, Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust’s Carla Martin said she had been checking in on whānau, prioritising kaumatua and families with babies.
"Seeing the extent of everybody's losses, some more than others, it was just devastating," as quoted by 1News.
Some residents had already relocated to marae, while others staying in their homes were being supplied with generator fuel, food and water. Food parcels were delivered to Mōkau Marae yesterday, with more on the way to Rawhiti, Bland Bay (Tūparehuia), Otetao o Reti, Punaruku, and Ngāiotonga.
According to 1News, Martin urged the community to remain cautious, saying: "We know that the clean-up is going to be huge, and we're all here to chip in with everyone. Be safe out there."
MetService said already saturated Northland could face more than 40 hours of heavy rain, with 60mm to 80mm expected between 9 am and 9 pm today, alongside "downpours of 25 to 40mm an hour". A further 120mm to 160mm was forecast from early Wednesday to early Thursday.
Whangaruru farm manager Matt Payne said the damage had been extensive.
"It was water all across the road where it never floods. We were kind of stuck here for a few days because the bridge at one end of the farm was washed out, and our lane ways were washed out. We normally would be able to drive around," 1News has reported.
He said he had stocked up on a generator and fuel ahead of the next weather system, adding: "I figured with more heavy rain on the way, we'd best stock up on a few things."
According to 1News, Whangārei District Council said three homes and the Ōakura Community Hall had been declared "dangerous buildings" under the Building Act, with seven properties assessed in total. Northpower also reported an outage affecting more than 450 customers in Mangawhai after trees damaged power lines.
Civil Defence Northland warned there was "a lot more heavy rain to come for our region", urging residents to prepare for rapidly rising rivers and slips. Officials said local councils and emergency services were meeting regularly, with resources being positioned across the region, 1News has reported.
Motorists in Northland have been urged to take care, with Waka Kotahi warning road conditions could change quickly due to flooding, slips and fallen trees.
In Auckland, Vector warned that strong winds could lead to power outages, while NZTA said wind gusts of up to 85km/h were forecast on the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which would remain in a 4x4 lane configuration with a reduced speed limit of 70km/h, as quoted by 1News.
Authorities are continuing to monitor conditions closely as the weather system approaches.