New Plymouth flooded by heavy rainfall

  • 28/08/2017
New Plymouth was hit by heavy rainfall overnight
New Plymouth was hit by heavy rainfall overnight. Photo credit: Getty

New Plymouth was hit by heavy rainfall overnight resulting in surface flooding and minor slips.

A MetService spokesperson said New Plymouth and the inland township of Inglewood were "right in the firing line" of a slow-moving rain band heading east across the North Island.

They said the city received about 30mm of rainfall in three hours this morning.

One school was forced to close, with stormwater and sewage flooding the entrance of Devon Intermediate.

Craig Campbell-Smart, a spokesperson for Taranaki Civil Defence said New Plymouth had "caught the tail end" of the rain band. 

"The weather system resulted in moderate to heavy localised rainfall, causing rivers and streams to rise rapidly".

They said there had been some minor slips but there were no reports of damage.

David Langford, infrastructure manager of the New Plymouth District Council, said contractors were working to clear away the slips onto roads.

"The heavy rainfall has caused some overflows from sewer manholes and pump stations into streams around the city". 

The Council is installing no-swimming signs effective for the next 48 hours at these sites, and there is a ban on shellfish gathering for the next 28 days in affected coastal areas.

They said they had not received any reports of flooding in Okato, Oakura, Bell Block, Waitara or Urenui.

The Council asked that residents "keep their personal safety in mind" by staying away from areas of flooding like rivers.

MetService said the rest of today and tomorrow should be fairly benign for the region, with light showers likely and a small possibility of further surface flooding.

Newshub.