Two states of local emergency have been declared in the Manawatū-Whanganui region after heavy rain triggered flooding, slips, evacuations and state highway closures overnight, with Whanganui now bracing for forecast flooding as river levels surge.
Whanganui District Mayor Andrew Tripe declared a state of local emergency for the Whanganui District at 6.57am on Sunday, hours after a similar declaration was made by Ruapehu District Council for the Ōhura Ward at 3.21am.
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Civil Defence warned of possible flooding to low lying areas of Whanganui, including Anzac Parade, Taupo Quay and the suburb of Putiki at around 1pm.
"People should prepare to evacuate from those areas. Civil defence staff are commencing door knocking in these areas."
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Emergency evacuation centres will open later this morning at St Paul’s Church on Guyton St and Whanganui Girls’ College in Whanganui East.
Horizons modelling indicates flood protection assets may be needed, with multiple agencies on standby.
In the small Ruapehu town of Ōhura, six residents evacuated their homes overnight, with the Ōhura Memorial Hall opened as a Civil Defence Centre.
Local resident Mike Crowley described the deluge as a "real cracker flash flood".
"It was knee deep at my place and waist deep or more on Tongaporutu Rd. There was strong current from there down to the main street," he told 1News.
About 100mm of rain had fallen in the Ruapehu District in the past 24 hours, with a heavy rain warning still in place.
Residents of Owhango have been asked to conserve water until further notice due to high turbidity in the town's raw water source.
Awakino Gorge closed
State Highway 3 will remain closed through the Awakino Gorge after more rain overnight caused further slips and flooding.
NZTA said crews were continuing to assess the route with trucks and excavators currently working to clear lanes.
"Within the first kilometre of the gorge, 25 truckloads of material have been removed from the road, with additional material still to be removed," an NZTA spokesperson said.
Further north, Tauranga was also hit by severe weather overnight, causing damage and power outages across the city.
Lines company PowerCo said 75 properties in Welcome Bay were without electricity, with the cause of the outage listed as a “tornado”.
Tauranga City Council said three roads and a park were closed across the city after last night's wild weather, with reports of damage across the city coming in.
Welcome Bay Rd was shut from Tauranga Waldorf School to the Hot Pools, with the closure likely to remain in place into tomorrow.
Hamilton St and Devonport Rd were closed, while Tye Park in Welcome Bay was shut due to numerous trees down.
"There have also been reports of damage to houses. Please check in on your neighbours, friends, and whānau where you can."
A Welcome Bay resident woke to a loud bang before discovering their neighbour’s roof on their property. (Source: 1News)
MetService has an orange heavy rain warning in place for the eastern Bay of Plenty, with 80 to 110mm of rain expected east of the Whakatane River between 6am and 4pm.
Heavy rain watches also cover parts of Auckland, Gisborne and South Canterbury, with a moderate chance of those being upgraded to warnings.
The forecaster said a front followed by several active troughs was driving the unsettled conditions. MetService is scheduled to update its warnings at 10am.
Civil Defence urged people in the Manawatū-Whanganui region to take care, avoid floodwater and follow instructions from local authorities and emergency services.
Twenty-four homes have been evacuated in the Lower Hutt suburb of Stokes Valley after up to 40mm of rain fell in an hour. (Source: Supplied)
The latest weather follows flash flooding in Wellington yesterday, which forced sections of several state highways to close and more than two dozen homes to be evacuated.
Wellington Region Emergency Management said 25 homes in Stokes Valley and one home in Porirua had been evacuated.
Residents in Stokes Valley described a sudden and intense downpour around 9am, with water levels rising within minutes as drains and manholes failed under pressure. In multiple streets, stormwater burst through manhole covers and cracked concrete, sending muddy water through driveways, garages and backyards.
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