Newstalk ZB
One red and 22 orange rain and wind alerts have been issued across the North Island, with Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island in for the most severe gales. MetService says Cyclone Vaianu will hit the top northeast side of the country first at 9pm Saturday and work its way down. The red alert is a severe strong wind warning for Coromandel and Great Barrier Island effective from 5am to 6pm on Sunday, with wind gusts expected to hit 140km/h. People have been advised to stay indoors and avoid travel. The rain and wind warnings and watches are across the regions below. Northland Orange strong wind and heavy rain warning, heavy rain watch. The region will experience severe gales from 11pm Saturday through to early afternoon Sunday, with gusts expected to reach 130km/h. There’s a moderate chance this will be upgraded to Red. Northland and south of Bay of Islands to Hokianga Harbour will be hit by 50 to 80mm of rain, with the peak expected Sunday morning. It will go for 12 hours from 9pm Saturday night to 9am Sunday morning. There is a heavy rain watch in place for the rest of the Northland region, north of Bay of Islands. Meteorologist for Earth Sciences NZ, Chester Lampkin said at about 5pm the system will start to clear off the Northland region. “[Northland] May even get some sun by the afternoon hours on Sunday,” Lampkin said. In late March, flooding in Northland forced the evacuation of 500 people from Kaitāia and caused havoc to the region’s roading network. Kaitāia in flooding late March triggered evacuations. Photo / Jason Dorday Auckland and Great Barrier Island Both a red and orange strong wind and heavy rain warnings. A red strong wind warning is in place for Great Barrier Island Sunday from 5am to 6pm. “Damaging” wind gusts of up to 140km/h are expected as MetService warned a “threat to life” from flying items and falling trees. Auckland will experience severe gales from 9pm Saturday through to 4pm Sunday, with gusts expected to reach 130km/h. Heavy rain is expected in both Auckland and Great Barrier Island with the peak falling on Sunday morning. The region will be hit by 70 to 100mm of rain, from the early hours of the morning through to 2pm. The Auckland Harbour Bridge faces possible closures with NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) warning drivers they should expect the bridge might need to be fully closed if wind gusts get too high. Lane closures and reduced speed limits were also likely. In 2023, the Auckland Anniversary floods claimed the lives of four people. The region saw widespread, extensive flooding. Cars were trapped in flood waters across Auckland. Photo / Dean Purcell Waikato Both a red and orange strong wind and heavy rain warnings, heavy rain watch. The same rare red strong wind warning is also in place for the Coromandel Peninsula, for the majority of Sunday, alongside Great Barrier Island. Forecasters have warned winds will cause widespread destruction and disruption including of powerlines, roofs, transport and power supply. Metservice has advised on its website for people in these areas to “stay indoors or seek sturdy shelter away from trees. Avoid travel. Be ready for power and communication outages”. Coromandel Peninsula can expect 14 hours of rain from 2am to 4pm Sunday. Between 150 to 180mm of rain is expected to fall. A heavy rain watch is in place for the rest of the Waikato region from 3am to 6pm Sunday. The Waikato Regional Council says the weather system is likely to cause moderate to significant coastal erosion along the east Coromandel Peninsula and Thames Firth. Significant erosion will very likely occur at Whangapoua, Matarangi, Kūaotunu, Hot Water Beach, Onemana, Whangamatā, Pauanui and Buffalo Beach, Whitianga. Sandbags are available in Whangamatā, Pāuanui, Tairua, Whitianga, Coromandel, and Thames. Sandbag...
Go to News Site