Source: Radio New Zealand
Flooding at the interchange of State Highway 2 – Haywards Interchange on Saturday. Screenshot / Video Josh Hay
A state of local emergency has been declared for the small town of Ōhura in the Ruapehu District due to heavy rain.
The National Emergency Management Agency is warning that life-threatening flooding is possible.
It is urging residents to prepare to evacuate from low-lying areas near Mangaroa Stream and other catchments.
A Civil Defence Centre is available at the Memorial Hall on Ngarimu Street.
Elsewhere, emergency operations staff in Lower Hutt were monitoring river levels throughout the night after heavy rain battered the city on Saturday
Orange warnings for heavy rain were in place for much of the North Island including: Taranaki, King Country, west of Taupō – until 9am Sunday; the Bay of Plenty east of Whakatāne starting from the early hours of Sunday until 4pm; as well as the Tararaua Range, Kāpiti Coast, Wellington and the Hutt Valley, until 1am Sunday.
Wellington was expected to bear the brunt of it after two thunderstorms on Saturday morning inundated homes, closed streets and caused slips around the region, but the weather dispersed more than originally forecast in the evening.
However, teams in Lower Hutt had been on standby watching the Hutt River, Waiwhetu stream and Black Creek in Wainuiomata overnight in case levels continued to rise or risk breaking their banks.
State Highway 58 in the Wellington Region, between Pāuatahanui and State Highway 2 interchange, was still closed.
While in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region – State Highway 3 from Mokau to Piopio, and State Highway 43 between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui, was also closed.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
