MetService National Weather: Jan 4-7.

Roads are beginning to close in the Coromandel, a popular summer hotspot, with overnight rains causing flooding and slips, and the district’s mayor warns that it will only get worse throughout the day.

The stormy weather that wreaked havoc across the North Island yesterday and prompted vacationers to flee the peninsula is set to continue into the weekend.

Thames-Coromandel mayor Len Salt told Newstalk ZB that people should keep their heads down and refrain from traveling while the situation worsens.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council has announced that roads around the district are already closed or are in the process of being closed this morning, including roads near 309 Rd by Slip and Whitianga.

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The council also received reports of water crossing Wharf Road in Coromandel Town and Highway 25/Wade Road near Whitianga.

“Things will get worse before they get better, so everyone should stay where they are, avoid travel and stay away from beaches, streams and rivers,” said Garry Towler, Thames Coromandel District Civil Defense Director. I recommend you,” he said.

Mercury Bay Holiday Park campers survived an overnight storm this morning, but were packing up as people kept canceling their vacations.

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Manager Samantha Gillies said the weather had calmed down in the area at 9 a.m. after a bad night of heavy rain and high winds.

The campsite was intact, but the majority of campers had already left, and the remaining few were preparing to go home.

Gillies is currently fielding calls from people wanting to postpone or cancel their reservations, with over 70% of reservations canceled.

“We were consistently expecting around 200, at least until mid-January, but it’s now down to 50-60,” she said.

At 3 a.m. in the last 24 hours, Castle Rock Weather Station recorded 155 mm of rainfall, while Pinnacles Station recorded 182.5 mm.

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The council said the Kauaeranga River had reached 7.7m and was rising. It was the first warning, “but well below the level at which the Route 25 spillway in Rose Park floods him at 10.5 meters.”

Across the district, 206 facilities in Whangamata and 22 facilities in Tapu have recorded outages.

Four Square Buffalo Beach clerk Amber Brown said Whitianga is quiet now, with many vacationers cutting their stays short.

Strong winds hit Auckland

In Auckland, strong winds overnight have caused power outages in parts of the area.

The Auckland Civil Defense Authority said the high winds hit the power grid, posing a risk for workers to fix the problem.

Also, there was little damage from floods and storms.

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Civil Defense advised people to prepare for further disruptions, including keeping their phones charged, especially in blackout-prone residential areas.

Heavy rain in Coromandel

Vacationers across the Coromandel Peninsula were warned that they risked being stranded before a five-day violent storm set to hit the top of the country if they didn’t return home yesterday afternoon.

The council posted an emergency message on social media ahead of the approaching storm, saying the potential impact was set to be worse than originally projected.

Yesterday, MetService issued a Severe Weather Warning for the peninsula with 24 hours of heavy rain, including this morning’s torrential downpour.

The area is also wary of strong winds, and northeasterly winds are expected to be strong in exposed areas.

“Residents and holidaymakers are urged to plan and act today before heavy rains, high winds and north-easterly winds arrive in the late afternoon,” Thames Coromandel City Council said on Facebook.

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Campers were warned to find a safe spot or head home as the Coromandel Peninsula faces a prolonged storm. Photo/Alan Gibson.
Campers were warned to find a safe spot or head home as the Coromandel Peninsula faces a prolonged storm. Photo/Alan Gibson.

Civil Defense Administrator Gary Toller urged everyone to stay vigilant and plan for Sunday.

“We strongly recommend that you consider going to a safe and secure place or staying home until the storm has passed.

Taurer said yesterday, “To make sure no one is stranded or stranded, rains by Saturday could cause surface flooding, slips, road closures and power problems. , it’s worth planning today.

Heavy rains and strong winds hit Auckland, the Coromandel, the western Bay of Plenty and the Tasman region yesterday, with many weather forecasts upgraded to warnings for parts of the North Island.

Storm crash claims two lives in Northland

The storm that hit Northland turned deadly late Tuesday night, killing two members of one family when an ute hit a tree knocked down by strong winds near Ahipara.

At about 11:50 pm, tragedy struck as the vehicle was moving towards the coastal town of Kaitaia-Awaroa Road.

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The top of the tree had caught on a high-voltage power line across the road, leaving it hanging about 2.5m above the ground. The height of the other end of the tree was high enough to remove the roof from Ute and kill him two of the three residents, officials said.

A man in the back seat and a woman in the passenger seat died, and the woman who was driving was unconscious.

The vehicle then drove another 100 meters towards Ahipara, left the road and crashed into another tree.

All three residents were thought to be members of the same family, including a wife and husband.

Dave Ross, Ahipara’s Chief Fire Officer, said the fatalities were victims of an accidental tragedy rather than the driver’s negligence.

No alcohol was included, everyone was wearing seatbelts, the near-new vehicle was in good shape, and Tuesday night’s weather didn’t give us a chance to see the trees until it was too late.

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“They did everything right, but two people still died,” he said.

Trees and high voltage power lines made rescue operations very difficult.

Volunteers from the Ahipara Fire Brigade were able to go straight to the crashed ute, but ambulance crews from Kaitaia found the road blocked and had to turn back and make a 35 km detour via Sandhills Rd. did not.

The incident left 1,136 households in Ahipara and surrounding areas without power.

Ahipara deaths will be the first on Northland roads in 2023, bringing the national holiday toll to 20. The official holiday period ended at 6am on Wednesday.

Surfers enter the water from Murray's Bay Wharf on Auckland's North Shore during bad weather.Photography/Brett Phibs
Surfers enter the water from Murray’s Bay Wharf on Auckland’s North Shore during bad weather.Photography/Brett Phibs

Power outage drives FM radio off-air

In Auckland, a power outage occurred at the Sky Tower yesterday evening during a raging storm, cutting power to many FM radio transmitters.

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Newstalk ZB, owned Herald Publishers NZME, RNZ National and RNZ Concert FM are among the affected stations.

A SkyCity spokeswoman said an electrical fault was to blame.

“We believe an electrical fault caused a blackout in the part of the Sky Tower that houses many FM radio transmitters,” she said.

“The cause of the power outage is currently under investigation. Sky Tower restaurants will be closed tonight due to inclement weather.”

Around 5:30 pm, a spokeswoman said power appeared to be restored.

Heavy orange rain warnings are currently in effect for the Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty and northern Tasman and are expected to continue this afternoon or into Friday.

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Residents of these areas are told to expect 120 to 180 mm of precipitation within range, with less precipitation closer to the coast.

Severe weather warnings are currently in effect for the upper, central and western North Island, the Nelson Range and Westland, and rainfall could approach expected warning levels.

Officials have warned people to prepare for dangerous driving and boating conditions in Northland and five days of severe weather on the Coromandel Peninsula.

Heavy rains are set to hit the country today, and drivers are being asked to be careful where the wind can damage trees, power lines, and unsafe structures.

In the North Island, heavy rain is expected from Waikato to Taranaki, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, with afternoon showers from Whanganui to Wellington and Wairarapa.

Nelson, Buller, Marlborough, Westland and Fiordland will see heavy rainfall in the south, while Canterbury, Otago and Southland can experience showers.

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The Summer Haze Festival in Auckland and the UB40 concert in Tauranga were canceled yesterday, but Nelson’s Bay Dreams Festival is set to take place today.