Auckland is in recovery mode again after yet another signifcant downpour inundated homes and roads overnight.
The rain fell thick and fast over a 1.5 hour period from 5am, with emergency services responding to dozens of calls for help from northern, central and western parts of the city.
What you need to know:
- Four people have died in the Auckland flooding
- A state of emergency is in place for Auckland
- Multiple State Highways are impacted by flooding. Click here for the full list
- Click here for a list of council road closures across Auckland
- Auckland schools can reopen on Thursday
- The number of red-stickered (uninhabitable) Auckland homes stands at 168, while 687 have been yellow-stickered (restricted access)
- People who need a Civil Defence payment, supplements to loss of income, emergency bedding or clothing should call 0800 400 100.
Civil Defence centres
- West: St Leonards Rd School, 15 Saint Leonards Rd, Kelston
- North: Massey University Albany Campus, Sir Neil Walters Lecture Theatre, Massey University East Precinct, Albany Expressway SH17
- South: Mana Tukutuku, 32 Riverton Dr, Randwick Park
- For more information visit here.
These live updates have now finished.
10pm - MetService said on Twitter showers are no longer heavy and the line of rain is drifting offshore to the west.
9:30pm- Aucklanders facing another gigantic clean-up job have told Newshub it's "soul-destroying" and they're feeling "defeated" as relentless rain forced them "back to square one".
It's after NIWA recorded another month's worth of rain in just 24 hours on Tuesday.
Read and watch the full story from Newshub's Lauren Hendricksen here.
8:40pm - The Thames-Coromandel District Council has released some startling footage of a slip falling onto the road.
Ruamahunga Bay on Thames Coast Road SH25 is closed due to a large rock fall, the council said. Contractors have advised that this section of road will be closed over night.
8:35pm - Here's an update from MetService on heavy rain warnings and watches:
Heavy Rain Warning - Orange
Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.
Bay of Plenty about and east of Kawerau, also Gisborne north of Ruatoria
- Period: 14hrs from 8pm Wed, 1 Feb - 10am Thu, 2 Feb
- Forecast: Expect a further 50 to 80 mm of rain on top of what has already fallen. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h, especially about the ranges.
Westland south of Otira
- Period: 36hrs from 4am Thu, 2 Feb - 4pm Fri, 3 Feb
- Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Expect 200 to 300 mm of rain to accumulate about the ranges, and 70 to 110 mm near the coast. Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h about the ranges. Thunderstorms are possible. Note, heavy rain may ease for a time on Thursday afternoon or early evening.
Heavy Rain Watch
The Hunua Ranges and Coromandel Peninsula
- Period: 18hrs from noon Thu, 2 Feb - 6am Fri, 3 Feb
- Forecast: Periods of heavy showers or rain are possible. Total rainfall accumulations (around 30 to 50 mm) through the period would not normally be sufficient to issue a Watch, but due to the recent heavy rains these lesser amounts may still cause issues for the region.
Bay of Plenty west of about Kawerau, this includes the Rotorua Lakes District, Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City
- Period: 24hrs from 8am Thu, 2 Feb - 8am Fri, 3 Feb
- Forecast: The RED Warning for this area is now lifted. However, further rain from Thursday morning to Friday morning may be heavy at times. Although amounts are unlikely to reach warning accumulations this Watch is for the possibility that lesser amounts of rain may still cause issues due to the recent heavy rain.
Tasman west of Motueka
- Period: 10hrs from 8pm Wed, 1 Feb - 6am Thu, 2 Feb
- Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Note, watch period extended as another burst of heavier rain is expected overnight.
Fiordland north of George Sound
- Period: 26hrs from 9am Thu, 2 Feb - 11am Fri, 3 Feb
- Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria.
8:25pm - The Mangawhai Surf Club in Northland is closed until further notice after a large section of the hillside behind it slipped and caused "significant" damage to the back wall of the club.
"The club and surrounding grounds have been cordoned off and must not be accessed until further notice," Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service Inc said in a Facebook post.
"Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Surf Life Saving is working with Surf Lifesaving Northern Region to resume beach patrols as soon as possible. Until then, take care while accessing the water, and follow advice on the Surf Lifesaving Northern Region and Safe Swim websites to keep you and your whanau safe.
"We will share more details as soon as these are known but in the meantime, thank you for your support and understanding. This is a sad day for our club, but the club is grateful no one was seriously hurt during this incident."
7:55pm - Waka Kotahi said SH25 from Waiomu to Ruamahunga is closed due to rock fall.
SH23 in Whatawhata is also closed following a slip west off Glentui Lane.
7pm - Heavy showers are forecasted for the western parts of the Auckland region on Wednesday evening.
"Converging winds will see these continue about the Waitakere Ranges and far western suburbs of Auckland city this evening," MetService tweeted.
6:30pm - Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says State Highway 23 will close to all traffic overnight from 7pm due to the severity of cracking and slumping on the highway west of Glentui Lane.
"We have been doing everything we can to keep this road open but a geotechnical inspection late this afternoon has confirmed the risk to the travelling public has increased," said Cara Lauder, Waka Kotahi system manager for Waikato.
"Despite our best efforts to keep water out of the cracks, the fissures are growing. To keep the public safe, Waka Kotahi will close SH23 at Glentui from 7pm to 7am tonight and re-assess first thing tomorrow morning."
Under traffic management today, Waka Kotahi said contractors moved the live lane further away from the problem area.
"As well as applying cold mix asphalt to the cracks, an asphalt bund was added to direct road water flow away in an effort to prevent further damage, however it hasn't been enough to stop it getting worse," Lauder said.
"We understand how important the highway is to locals in Raglan, but our priority must be to act as quickly as necessary to keep everyone safe."
The detour route is as follows: Ohautira Road, Waingaro Road, Herschel Street, Ellery Street, Whatawhata Avenue, Ngaruawahia Road, Horotiu Road to re-join SH23.
6:20pm - Air New Zealand is adding extra flights to clear backlog. Here's the full update from them:
As disrupted international customers continue to be rebooked onto alternative services, Air New Zealand is delivering more recovery flights from Japan and Samoa to bring home customers who have been stranded overseas due to recent Auckland airport disruptions.
An extra Apia, Samoa flight NZ6055 has also been scheduled for 2 February local time, providing an earlier travel option for a further 300 customers. An additional 787-9 service from Narita, Japan NZ94 departing on 6 February local time will fly 300 customers back to Aotearoa New Zealand earlier than expected.
The recovery flights are part of a wider effort from the airline to add more seats to bring disrupted customers home more quickly. They're in addition to previously announced extra flights from Los Angeles, Niue, Fiji and the larger aircraft flown by Singapore Airlines from Singapore.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says the airline's top priority is getting disrupted customers to their final destination as quickly as possible.
"We've pulled out all the stops to get our customers in the air. We've redirected Cargo flights to pick up passengers, called in favours from our Alliance partners, used larger aircraft and adjusted our schedule wherever possible to make it happen. No stone has been left unturned.
"Our teams have worked tirelessly to enable further capacity to be added so we can get more people from Samoa and Japan, which are two ports that remain in high demand with limited options - these extra flights will be a relief to those needing to get home."
Air New Zealand is now contacting all disrupted customers in Japan and Samoa to advise them of the extra flights and asks customers to bear with us as the airline's team works through the backlog.
Nearly all disrupted customers rebooked on alternative services
Air New Zealand also announced that nearly all 9,000 disrupted customers have been rebooked, with an estimated 300 still outstanding.
"Our focus has always been to prioritise rebooking our disrupted customers. Rebooking 8,700 customers has been a massive undertaking and one of our biggest rebookings in our history - effectively two customers rebooked every minute since late Saturday evening.
"We're continuing our work to rebook the remaining 300 customers. When this is done, we'll be turning our focus to responding to the other outstanding queries we've received and supporting all our valued customers. An enormous thanks to everyone for their patience and understanding as we've worked through this challenging time.
"I'd also like to again thank our wonderful employees, Alliance and travel agent partners who have supported us and helped complete this enormous task."
Airport still working through challenges
"While we are running our schedule as planned at the domestic terminal, things are still recovering at the international terminal. We understand that this has caused inconvenience for some customers and we're doing everything in our power to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.
"We'd like to remind customers taking an international flight with us to please bear with us when checking in. Repairs are going well but many systems are still not yet operational. We have brought in volunteers from across the business to assist with check-in and baggage, and we appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we work through recovering from this unprecedented event."
It is the airlines intent to operate all services and the schedule will largely be operating as normal from tomorrow.
5:45pm - There are thunderstorms producing heavy rain in inland Clutha, Otago.
There is currently a severe thunderstorm watch in place for parts of the lower South Island.
5:30pm - Aerial footage shows what the destruction of Auckland flooding looks like.
5:25pm - Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has tried to silence local councillors in a leaked email sent on Wednesday afternoon.
In the email, which was sent to 170 local politicians, Brown asks councillors to let him be the "one voice" of Auckland's flooding response.
"I will take care of the big picture," Brown said in his email. "My team and I have been working hard to strengthen communications and get clear, timely messages out to Aucklanders.
"To ensure that all communications remain clear and consistent, we need to speak with one voice.
"For that reason, I ask that it be left to myself and the Deputy Mayor to lead public communications on regional matters," he said.
5:03pm - NIWA said despite all the rain, Auckland has had a hot and humid day.
4:42pm - Here's the latest update from Auckland Emergency Management.
Weather outlook
Heavy rain and winds have eased and there are currently no watches or warnings for Auckland. Isolated heavy showers/thunderstorms are possible 12pm - 8pm today, mainly in the west including Piha.
We are currently expecting showers on Thursday afternoon, more frequent in the evening and easing Friday morning and clearing from midday.
No significant coastal impacts are expected, due to modest tides.The additional heavy rain and strong winds this morning caused surface flooding in many areas resulting in road closures or restrictions. It has also resulted in more property damage today.
Disruption to Building Control Services
On Tuesday 31 January, Auckland Council imposed a restriction on non-essential building consent related inspections. This has been extended to Tuesday 7 February.
All inspections scheduled through to this date will be cancelled.
Where there are essential inspections required customers should email our inspection inbox at BCdispatcher@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
We will continue to deliver only essential building inspection services over this period. Essential services are those relating to welfare, medical, emergency response, and critical infrastructure (such as supermarkets or those required to prevent or resolve risk to life/property).
We recognise how disruptive this booking restriction will be for the industry, which in many cases will have also suffered setbacks from flood damage. However, it is important that we continue to prioritise the identification of unsafe buildings to safeguard the public and enable the recovery process.
Moving forward, our inspection booking portal will be open to book, or re-book, inspections from 8.00am, Thursday 2 February for Tuesday 7 February onwards.
After the restriction period has ended, we will maintain our policy of a guaranteed re-inspection following a failed inspection within 24 hours.
Please do not book the same inspection more than once. We will not be charging people to re-book inspections that we have cancelled due to the restriction period.
Over the next few weeks, we will work with the construction industry and building consent authority colleagues to clear any resulting inspection backlog arising from these restrictions.
Welfare
As the weather improves, there are some changes to the civil defence and evacuation centres.
Centres are still open at Māngere, Randwick Park, Albany and Kelston.
Warkworth, Kumeu and Wellsford are now closed.Anyone needing support can still contact us at 0800 22 22 00.
Auckland Transport
We thank Aucklanders for 20 per cent less traffic on the roads today. Some slips and clean-ups will take considerable time to clear safely, such as on Scenic Drive which has 4 significant slips.
34 roads are currently closed, down significantly from the total of 82 since Friday.
Please take extreme care when travelling.
Due to the unprecedented events of the past few days, Auckland Transport has authorised the waiver of all infringement notices issued between 2pm on Friday 27 January and 9am this morning.
Lifts and insurance
We understand a number of lifts are out of service in buildings across the city. With so many high-rise residential buildings, this means difficult access for residents who may have to walk up many floors to and from home. If this causes issues for you, please remember you can call us on 0800 22 22 00 for help.
A reminder to those who may be working on their clean ups in coming days – please take photos of the damage before you dispose of anything.
If you have insurance, call them before you get started to make sure you’re collecting all the information you need. If you’ve had the misfortune of flooding on multiple days, do your best to keep your records of the two events separate, in case your insurer considers claims for each event separately.
Schools
Schools can now open from Thursday, and they will provide specific updates to their own communities.
Businesses
Affected Auckland businesses can check Tātaki Auckland Unlimited website for links to external resources and support options targeting businesses. More info at: aucklandunlimited.com
A Business Support Helpline is being operated by the Employers and Manufacturers Association. It’s for business owners affected by the severe weather conditions.
Call 0800 500 362 for specific information, ie. staff leave, paying employees, insurance, etc.
Water and Wastewater
Fewer than 100 properties in west Auckland were without water this morning – down from approx. 3,000 on Sunday. Watercare crews are due to restore service to the remaining affected customers today.
Auckland has experienced the largest rain event on record and the stormwater impacts have been regionwide. Hundreds of staff and contractors worked over the weekend and will continue in the coming days. They are continually clearing debris from hot spots and inlet grilles.
Clean-up work is expected to take several weeks. There is a lot of debris in waterways and harbours – stay safe and avoid at risk activities.
Waste Management
Waste generated during clean-up operations is going to be a big area of focus for us and our waste management plan is developing.
The New Zealand Defence Force has been helping us. This afternoon, the Air Force conducted a reconnaissance flight over impacted areas to get a clearer picture of where waste is, and if more resources are required. This will help us with our waste plans.
The Defence Force is also on the ground helping some impacted communities with loading skip bins and at some of the civil defence centres.
4:32pm - SH1 Brynderwyns's opening has been delayed after another slip.
"Another slip has meant SH1 Brynderwyns will be delayed in reopening to northbound traffic. It will take at least two hours to clear the slip, and another update will be provided at 6pm," Waka Kotahi said.
"Motorists can continue to use the local detour (light vehicles) or via SH12 and SH14 (heavy vehicles). Please expect delays. We apologise for the inconvenience."
4:22pm - New footage shows the extent of the destruction after a bach collapsed on the Āwhitu Peninsula, injuring three people.
Watch the full footage here.
4:16pm - Aucklanders are being warned to allow extra time for late night journeys as flood damage is repaired.
4:07pm - Vector has released an update on the weather-related power outages. Read it in full below:
After another busy morning, our crews have made good progress since our last update with the number of outages in Auckland now down to less than 100 (excluding Kawau Island).
It is expected that those customers still without power will be back up and running later today. These outages were a result of damaged lines and fallen trees due to the unstable ground as a result of the floods.
As we aim to get these customers back on, we ask for kindness and patience with our crews while they are working in the field. Remember, a thumbs up from a distance to let them know they're doing a good job is the best form of communication so they can keep working as safely and quickly as possible.
Crews have been onsite at Kawau Island to fully prepare the site and the helicopter will be dispatched to the island tomorrow with equipment and to help with repairs. We are communicating directly with Kawau Island residents and keeping Civil Defence informed.
Thanks again to all those in Auckland who have been impacted for their continued patience. We know for many there's still significant cleaning up to be done and a lot of heart break – we are thinking of you all.
3:56pm - SH1 at the Brynderwyn Hills just north of the SH12 intersection has been reopened to northbound traffic today.
Waka Kotahi said the road will reopen between 4pm and 8pm to help alleviate traffic but will be closed overnight and reassessed in the morning.
"Our contractors will be on-site monitoring for any additional slips on the road and should there be any concerns, we will not hesitate to close this route if it becomes unsafe," Waka Kotahi said in a traffic update.
"Speed restrictions will be in place, so we urge motorists to use caution and drive to the conditions. Light vehicles heading southbound will need to continue to use the local detour, while heavy vehicles will need to continue to use SH14 and SH12."
3:45pm - New aerial photos show the extent of the damage from the Āwhitu Peninsula bach collapse.
All three people who were inside the bach have been rescued and two have been taken to Middlemore Hospital.
The photos show debris littering the beach as emergency staff work to rescue the then-trapped residents.
The entire bach can be seen smashed into pieces.
3:36pm - There is no update on the state of emergency. Kelleher says it will either be renewed or expire and an announcement about it will be made on Friday. But she says staff may still need to powers a state of emergency allows during the clean-up period.
3:34pm - Kelleher says Auckland Transport has 500 staff out across the city identifying damages or issues. She said the same is being done for wastewater, parks and other facilities.
3:32pm - Kelleher says there is still the potential for slips and trees falling over the next couple of days because of sodden ground.
3:29pm - Auckland Transport has waived all infringement notices which were issued between 2pm last Friday and this morning.
3:21pm - Health officials are warning people to keep an eye out for illness if they have come in contact with flood water.
3:13pm - Auckland Council spokesperson Ian McCormick says so far 168 red notices have been issued along with 687 yellow placards.
He said the flooding will probably be the largest deployment of rapid building assessments since the Christchurch earthquake.
3:10pm - All three people who were caught up in the Āwhitu Peninsula bach collapse have now been rescued, Devlin said. He said two people have been taken to Middlemore Hospital for checks.
3:07pm - FENZ regional manager Ron Devlin said thankfully last night's weather was much less severe than expected. He said FENZ had around 90 calls until midday today. He said FENZ is now operating in a business as normal capacity.
3:05pm - Auckland Emergency Management controller Rachel Kelleher says heavy rains and winds are dying down but thunderstorms are still possible tonight.
Kelleher said this morning's rain has caused road closures, flooding and property damage.
3:02am - The Ministry of Education has confirmed schools, early learning services and tertiary education centres can reopen from tomorrow.
In a statement on its website, the Ministry said the decision is based on analysis from Waka Kotahi and Emergency Management officials.
Read the statement in full below:
As I advised you in yesterday’s Bulletin, we are undertaking a daily review of the Direction to keep schools, early learning services and tertiary closed for physical instruction (with ELS providing services for those parents who need it) issued on 30 January.
A Power of Direction usurps the usual authority of the Board or Governors and should only remain in place as long as necessary. The current power extinguishes on 6 February.
Following today’s review I am lifting the direction with effect from 1 February.
This decision is based on situational analysis from Waka Kotahi who provide input to the Auckland Emergency Management Situational Report. This information includes high level of confidence in the weather settling, that water is draining more quickly than expected. Some roads are closed, and some will remain so for the next few days. We have also been advised that you can expect to experience extended journey times, especially on rail networks.
The lifting of the Direction does not mean that your school has to open from tomorrow. Prior to this weather event 200 schools in the Auckland Region had already decided they would start term 1 on 7 February. It does allow those schools that can open, to do so.
Of the 381 schools that had intended to open, some of you will be ready to go from tomorrow. For others, your circumstances may have changed as a result of the weather events. Your staff, community and student body may need that extra time to prepare. If you do choose to re-open you should consider communicating with your students and whanau to plan for extended journey times, where applicable.
Should your Board choose to wait until 7 February, you will not be required to make up the two additional days by the end of the year.
Our property staff are continuing to assess buildings and school environment conditions. We know that there are a small number of schools that have weather related damage that may mean re-opening fully or in part, for on-site learning on 7 February is not possible at this stage. We are working with each of those schools individually to assess their options – including but not limited to property remediation, access to distance learning or collaboration with other local schools.
To support you with informing your community of your decision, attached is a draft letter that you may choose to use to let parents and caregivers know of when you are choosing to re-open.
We will publicly release this Bulletin on our website at 2.30 pm, to give you a window to communication with parents and communities about the situation and your decision.
2:55pm - Christopher Luxon is also happy about schools reopening telling reporters he is welcoming the Ministry of Education's decision to come around to National's way of thinking.
2:53pm - Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has welcomed the decision by the Secretary of Education to allow early childhood centres, schools, universities, and other tertiary institutions to open tomorrow.
"It turned out to be the right decision to keep schools closed today. But Aucklanders are resilient and – where possible – want to get our region back to normal again. With blue sky over much of the city, the worst is hopefully behind us. We can now resume the big Auckland clean-up that communities got underway on Saturday morning, and prepare for the even bigger repair and removal stage," Mayor Brown said.
Brown said it is still important Aucklanders take extra care in the days and perhaps weeks ahead.
"Our region is saturated. More slips are possible or even likely. Floodwaters are still present with dangerous hidden debris. As everyone heads back to work and school tomorrow, please keep well away from anything that looks like it could become a slip, and do not play in floodwaters.
"Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the other day, we need to get Auckland pumping again, after three years of COVID.
"As Aucklanders carry on with the big clean up, and as a number of families grieve loved ones, we also need to back to normal as quickly as possible.
"Thank you to Aucklanders for sticking together and to the thousands of emergency service personnel, council workers and volunteers who have put themselves at risk and are now into their fifth day of extraordinarily hard work.
"Thank you to our Councillors and Local Board members for your hard work in our communities and for your advice.
"And thank you to our infrastructure suppliers who have kept most transport, water, power, and sewerage working after this unprecedented weather event.
"There are going to be lessons to learn for all of us, including me. But, overall, Aucklanders can be proud of how we have got through what we hope is the worst."
2:48pm - Auckland Emergency Management officials are providing an update on the flooding. The livestream can be watched at the top of this article. App users click here.
2:39pm - Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says his deputy Desley Simpson is "devastated" after she slipped up on Breakfast and said Brown was "part of the problem".
Simpson was speaking with Breakfast on Wednesday when she accidentally took a dig at her boss.
"He was on the ground looking at the community impacts across the region. He's part of the problem," Simpson said.
In a tweet just before 1pm, Brown said Simpson was devastated by her slip-up and "feels that was malicious reporting".
"I was trying to communicate the fact that Mayor Brown is aware of the problems and part of the solution," she is quoted as saying.
2:50pm - Auckland Emergency Management officials are providing an update on the flooding. The livestream can be watched at the top of this article. App users click here.
2:34pm - Auckland Emergency Management officials are providing an update on the flooding. You can watch the livestream at the top of this video from 3pm.
2:25pm - Auckland Transport (AT) has provided the below update:
Work is underway across the Auckland region to clean up further damage caused across our road and public transport network overnight.
Roads and public transport services across Auckland continue to be affected by the heavy rain and strong winds experienced over the past 18 hours.
Across the rail network, buses are replacing all services on the Western Line between Britomart and Swanson due to power outage and slips and flooding on the tracks. Rail services are running to reduced timetables on the Eastern and Southern lines and flooding between Ōrākei and Glen Innes is being closely monitored to ensure it does not present a safety risk for train services.
Bus services are currently experiencing delays due to flooding and detours, including flooding which has affected two bus depots. The Northern Busway has reopened between the Smales Farm and Akoranga stations, with stop/go and speed reductions restrictions in place today.
A full closure is planned overnight to allow damage to the busway surface to be repaired.
Ferry services are currently experiencing delays and late cancellations. Pine Harbour ferry services will resume today, while Gulf Harbour services remain replaced by buses.
Passengers wanting to travel on public transport services should check the AT Mobile app or AT website for the latest information on public transport services before they travel.
Across Auckland's road network we've seen lower than usual traffic volumes today, with approximately 20 percent fewer cars on local and arterial roads compared with last Wednesday. We have over 500 members of our road maintenance crews out across the region today working to manage slips and flooding and clear roads where it’s practical and safe.
Although these teams are making good progress there are some slips which will take considerable time to safely clear, such as along Scenic Dr where there are four significant slips.
Since Friday there have been 82 road closures across the region, with access restored on the majority. There are 34 roads which are currently closed.
As of 1:45pm the main areas of focus for teams working to clear and reopen roads:
North
- Mill Flat Rd - the Bailey Bridge has arrived on site and we expect to be fully installed and operational next week. Please be patient and continue using the forestry road detour for now.
- Wairau Rd/Porana intersection
- Fred Thomas Dr
- Beach Rd, Browns Bay
- Glenvar Rd - needs to be fully investigated before it can be reopened. AT will be providing residents with detour maps in the meantime to make access easier.
Central
- Tāmaki Dr, where there have been slips and flooding
- Fanshawe St
- Greenlane/Manukau Rd
- Mt Wellington
- Gillies Ave
South
- Various roads across the Āwhitu Peninsula
- Beachcroft Rd
West
- Te Henga Rd (need to use Bethells as a detour)
- Woodbay Rd
- Scenic Dr
We continue to urge Aucklanders to take extreme care when travelling on the network, consider whether your travel is necessary and plan your full return journey.
2:15pm - Below is an update from Auckland Airport:
Travellers were able to continue their journeys as planned with flight arrivals and departures operating normally at Auckland Airport overnight.
Following a day of intense preparation for potential further flooding, terminals were unaffected by a second significant downpour as airlines continued to work through a backlog of international flights.
Overnight there were 44 people sleeping inside the international terminal, who were provided with stretchers and blankets and supported by members of the Auckland Airport team throughout the night.
Key advice for travellers
- Auckland Airport's domestic and international flight operations are open
- We recommend you pack any essential medication and a change of clothes in your carry-on baggage just in case your travel is disrupted
- Check the Waka Kotahi website for the latest information on your route to the airport and AT for updates to the public transport network as there has been flooding on the roads.
- We ask that only travellers with an international flight booked and scheduled come to the international terminal
- Travellers are best to contact their airline or check airline apps or websites to reschedule flights
- Auckland Airport carparks and park & ride are open
Meeters and farewellers:
- If you are picking up family and friends, please assist us by using our Wait Zones rather than coming inside the terminal
- Please use the terminal pick-up/drop-off area for farewells
- If it is necessary to provide some assistance or a hug to arriving or departing passengers, please follow the parking signs to park at car park D and E and use the large covered walkway directly opposite the terminal
- Before driving to the airport, please check the Waka Kotahi website for the latest travel update on your route as there has been flooding on the roads.
2:03pm - Six fire trucks are at the scene of the Āwhitu Peninsula bach collapse as well as five Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team members.
"Two people have been rescued and another is currently still trapped," a Fire and Emergency New Zealand statement said.
"Fire and Emergency is working with Auckland International Airport who are deploying a hover craft with four additional USAR personnel.
"Firefighters and USAR personnel are working hard in difficult conditions with debris and unstable terrain."
1:53pm - Images supplied to Newshub below show the shocking aftermath of the Āwhitu Peninsula bach collapse.
1:43pm - It's understood Auckland schools have been given the go-ahead to reopen on Thursday. Newshub has contacted the Ministry of Education to confirm this.
1:37pm - Newshub understands three people were in the bach at Orua Bay when it collapsed.
A local resident told Newshub emergency services are working to free an elderly woman whose legs are trapped. Another man has compound fractures to his leg and a third person is walking around, the local said.
It's understood a builder working at a property next door to the bach could see the collapse about to happen and yelled out to the occupants to try and warn them, but they did not hear.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews and two helicopters are at the scene.
1:30pm - Here are MetService's key talking points for Wednesday:
- Downpours have had massive impact across Auckland on Wednesday. Red warnings remain in force for Coromandel and Bay of Plenty west of Kawerau
- Prolonged heat is forecast across the South Island with temperatures about 30C mixed in with 20C nights
- West Coasters who are in desperate need of rain are getting their wishes fulfilled but there's heavy downpours incoming and an orange warning is in force.
1:25pm - The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has provided an update on the Coromandel and east Waikato roads affected by slips and flooding:
SH25 Thames to Coromandel – OPEN
- There is flooding at Manaia. Water has receded but is being closely monitored due to high rainfall
- Access past a slip at Ruamahanga Bay is possible as clearance operations allow so expect delays
- Some access past a fallen tree at Waiomu as clearance operations allow.
SH25 Coromandel to Whitianga – OPEN But Stop/Go traffic management in places and caution is advised.
SH25 Whitianga to Whangamata CLOSED at Hikuai due to flooding.
SH25 Whangamata to Waihi – OPEN but extreme caution is advised.
State Highway 25A (SH25A) - FULLY CLOSED
State Highway 2 (SH2) Karangahake Gorge OPEN under stop/go traffic management, however travel should be avoided in this area if possible. Contractors are still working to clear slip material and there is on-going truck movement in both directions.
State Highway 26 (SH26) Te Aroha to Paeroa – OPEN but exercise extreme caution. Contractors are monitoring water levels closely.
The road may close again at any time if required. High tide poses additional risk from around 4pm.
SH26 Paeroa to Kopu OPEN but caution advised due to standing surface water.
State Highway 29 Kaimai Ranges OPEN
1:15pm - Below are the latest severe weather warnings in place for the North Island:
Heavy rain warning - red
Coromandel Peninsula
Valid: Seven hours from 9am to 4pm Wednesday
Forecast: Expect a further 50 to 80mm of rain about the ranges on top of what has already fallen, with lesser amounts about the coast. Peak rates of 10 to 15mm/h, especially about the ranges. Thunderstorms are also possible.
Bay of Plenty west of about Kawerau including the Rotorua Lakes District, Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City
Valid: Twelve hours from 9am to 9pm Wednesday
Forecast: Expect a further 70 to 100mm of rain on top of what has already fallen, especially inland. Peak rates of 10 to 20mm/h.
Heavy rain warning - orange
Area: Bay of Plenty about and east of Kawerau, also Gisborne north of Ruatoria
Valid: Twenty-one hours from 1pm Wednesday to 10pm Thursday.
Forecast: Expect 90 to 120 mm of rain. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h, especially about the ranges.
1:06pm - The person trapped in the landslide is understood to be an elderly woman, an Orua Bay resident told the NZ Herald.
12:56pm - A person is trapped after a landslide took a bach down down a hill on the Āwhitu Peninsula.
Emergency services were called to the scene at Orua Bay at about midday, a Fire and Emergency (FENZ) New Zealand spokesman told Newshub.
FENZ crews are at the scene awaiting further resources to free the trapped person.
12:45pm - NIWA says 71mm of rain has fallen at its Western Springs station in the past day.
12:37pm - Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to media in Auckland earlier after more heavy rain in the city overnight.
"It's been a lot," he told reporters. "And it's been a lot on top of the last few years - first with COVID and then with the economic tail that was caused by that - so I get that households are thinking hard about their budgets and businesses about their costs."
12:30pm - Auckland Transport says the city's western line train services remain suspended after Wednesday morning's weather.
12:15pm - Auckland Emergency Management says the roads around Awhitu Peninsula have been significantly impacted by the severe weather, which has caused slips and trees to fall.
"Emergency services are working to clear the roads," Civil Defence said. "If you need assistance, call us on 0800 22 22 00 or visit our website at http://aem.org.nz."
12pm - A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of the South Island including the Canterbury High Country, north and central Otago, Clutha, Southland and Fiordland.
"Atmospheric conditions are favourable for severe thunderstorms to form, we will be monitoring the radar and will issue warnings for any severe storms that develop," MetService said.
"Rain rates of 25 to 40mm/hr are possible."
11:27am - Downpours of 40mm/h were recorded across Auckland on Wednesday morning, MetService says.
11:22am - City Rail Link (CRL) says the Auckland project was inundated during Friday's weather event, like the rest of the city.
"At this stage there is no known structural damage to tunnels, such as collapse or subsidence, but a full and detailed assessment of the sites must wait until this final band of weather passes," CRL chief executive Sean Sweeney said.
11:15am - Power authority Vector says about 3000 Auckland homes remained without electricity as of 10am.
"This number will change constantly as we restore customers but given the conditions and instability of the ground, we expect more incidents throughout the day," Vector said in a statement.
"Of the outages recorded overnight, the majority of these were a result of the unstable ground conditions which are causing severe landslips and vegetation."
11am - The Department of Conservation (DoC) has closed all of its huts and campsites amid the severe weather.
"Coromandel has been significantly affected by the recent heavy rain across the upper North Island. As part of supporting the multi-agency response DoC will not allow campers to stay at the dozens of huts and campsites across the peninsula," the department said in a statement.
"The closures are temporary and mean the sites are unavailable until MetService weather warnings for the district are lifted.
"Decisions on reopening the campsites and huts will be made once DoC staff have had an opportunity to carry out assessments."
10:45am - Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty says some regions could see more flooding and slips over the next days.
"Emergency services and local emergency management groups are ready to respond," he said on Twitter.
"Please stay up to date with the MetService... and continue to follow the advice of Civil Defence and emergency services.
"There's been damage to many roads. If you are in an affected area please avoid non-essential travel, drive to the conditions and never drive through floodwaters."
10:36am - The state of emergency that was in place for Northland has been lifted, the regional council has confirmed.
10:30am - It's believed there are fewer than 100 Auckland properties without water on Wednesday morning.
For those without water, below are tanker locations:
- 716 South Titirangi Rd
- End of Tawini Rd
- 1 Cochran Rd, Oratia
- Shetland St, Glen Eden
- 66 Avonleigh Rd, Green Bay
- Ceramco Park, Glen Eden
- Cnr Kotinga Ave & Puketitiro St, Glen Eden
- Cnr Withers & Paewai Rds, Glen Eden
"If there are further watermain breaks today, our crews will be expected to restore service to affected customers within five hours," Watercare said.
10:14am - Organisers of Fatboy Slim's gig at Auckland's Sky Tower on Wednesday night say they're still planning to go ahead with the event.
The 'Rockafellar Skank' DJ had been forced to move his first Auckland show to the city's indoor Spark Arena after Friday's heavy rain.
He was also forced to cancel his Napier gig on January 28.
However, despite heavy rain overnight on Tuesday, organisers were confident the transport network would be able to cope with revellers heading in for the sold out event, given the rain warnings were lifted by MetService early on Wednesday.
There's also a live stream of the gig tonight on Facebook - for more details, click here.
10:09am - The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says North Islanders in flood-affected regions including Coromandel and parts of Bay of Plenty should continue avoiding non-essential travel.
"If you don't need to be driving in these areas, please stay home. If you must travel in affected areas, please check the Waka Kotahi journey planner before you leave," NZTA national emergency response team spokesperson Mark Owen said.
"Slips and floodwaters are likely to disrupt travel in affected regions, making some roads impassable and others likely to close at short notice. The simple message for people in these areas is to stay put and stay safe.
"We're focused on keeping everyone fully informed and as safe as possible. Our people are working day and night to make that happen, and roading contractors are also working around the clock in incredibly difficult conditions to monitor the State Highway network for slips, flooding and other disruptions."
10am - Persistent rain will now move its way over Bay of Plenty, Waikato and northern Gisborne, NIWA says.
"Showers & thunderstorms are possible for other parts of the upper North Island (including Auckland) Thursday evening into Friday," the forecaster said.
9:45am - Aucklanders are being urged to stay home on Wednesday due to the changing state of the roads.
Several suburban streets have been impacted by flood waters and slips, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand's Brad Mosby earlier told reporters more damage could come.
9:29am - The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi says all of Auckland's motorways are now open again, except for the northbound on-ramp of State Highway 1 at Esmonde Rd.
Access to Green Ln West also remains blocked at the SH1 interchange.
9:25am - Heavy rain warnings previously in place for Auckland and Northland have now been lifted, MetService says.
However, "red" heavy rain warnings remain in place for the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty including Rotorua Lakes and Tauranga.
9:15am - Civil Defence earlier confirmed the worst of the weather has passed, with the "red" heavy rain warning for Auckland north of Orewa now expired.
But Auckland Emergency Management controller Rachel Kelleher urged people to stay alert, saying flooding and strong winds have caused other damage.
9:05am - Below is a summary of the Auckland flooding situation from Civil Defence:
Overnight, we've experienced widespread heavy rain across the region in the early hours of this morning and high winds overnight.
The weather system is sitting slightly further south than forecast, with a heavy band of rain currently passing over North Shore and the central city out across the West. This appears to be heading south.
- This morning has caused surface flooding which is impacting road networks heading into the city.
- We’re expecting a more detailed forecast from MetService a bit later this morning.
- If you need urgent flood assistance or need to report flooding in your area phone us on 0800 22 22 00.
- Act immediately is you see rising flood water, do not wait for official warnings. If you do need to evacuate, take care and bring essential items with you. Evacuation centres are open in Wellsford, Warkworth, Kumeu, Kelston, Albany, Randwick Park and Mangere.
- We’ve had low numbers through the new evacuation centre sites (Wellsford, Warkworth and Kumeu) overnight and are checking in with the other sites around the region again now.
- Fire and Emergency have responded to 53 weather-related calls this morning. Two of these were flooding of habitable floors and was a tree fallen across a house.
- This is an emerging situation, and as becomes light we can assess the full extent of the impacts.
Auckland Transport’s advice for people travelling on Wednesday
- Auckland Transport is responding to multiple flood events across the network.
- We’ve just had reports of the Awhitu Peninsula is cut off due to multiple slips. We’re following up with Auckland Transport for more information.
- Consider staying home or travelling later in the day once the heaviest periods of rain have passed.
- Do not walk, drive or cycle through floodwater because it can pose a series risk to your health and safety.
Plan ahead before you leave - check the AT Mobile app or website for public transport information and www.at.govt.nz/weatherwatch for the latest information about road closures
New road closures as at 7.30am – this is in addition to closures available on the AT website
- Coatesville Riverhead Highway between Ridge Road and Wake Road
- Tamaki Drive
- South Eastern Arterial – Carbine to Motorway (SEART)
- Scenic Drive now has 4 slips
- Te Henga Road – Detour through Bethells Road
- Woodbay Road – at 110 due to a slip
- Fred Thomas Drive
- Wairau Road is open but there is a watch in place
Roads to avoid
- SH1 Northcote – only two lanes operating each way.
- Flooding at SH20 around Onehunga and SH1 at Greenlane. One lane closed Southbound.
Trains
- No train services on the Western Line – three train units are currently stuck due to flooding and slips. No passengers are on board
- Eastern Line – services operating Manukau to Otahuhu in both directions
- Southern Line – running Papakura to Panmure in both directions. There is flooding between Orakei and Glenn Innes.
Buses
- Northern Busway closed between Akoranga Station and Smales Farm Station.
Remember when travelling
- Avoid unnecessary travel. Check road conditions if you do have to travel
- Floods and flash floods can happen quickly. Act immediately if you see rising water – do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and stay away from flood water
- Check www.aem.org.nz for updates and information. Listen to emergency services and self-evacuate if you feel unsafe
- If life is in danger, call 111 immediately.
Additional Civil Defence Centres
- West: St Leonards Road School, 15 St Leonards Road, Kelston
- North: Massey University Albany Campus, Sir Neil Walters Lecture Theatre, Massey University East Precinct, Albany Expressway SH17
- South: Mana Tukutuku, 32 Riverton Drive, Randwick Park
- South: Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Pool and Leisure Centre in Mascot Ave, Mangere.
Three more Civil Defence Centres opened yesterday, ahead of the forecast severe weater.
They are located at:
- Warkworth Town Hall, 2 Alnwick Street – operated by NZ Defence Force
- Wellsford Community Centre, 1 Matheson Road – operated by Red Cross
- Kumeu Community Centre, 35 Access Road – operated by Auckland Council Park Rangers
Bring with you any essential items you may need, eg. medication, special food.
Community and Information Centres
From midday today, we will have four additional community and information centres open, alongside the Māngere centre. The centres will be staffed by government welfare and support services and will operate from 9am to 5pm daily until further notice.
The four additional centres are located at:
- Te Manawa, Westgate – 11 Kohuhu Lane
- New Lynn Community Centre – 45 Totara Avenue, New Lynn
- Fickling Convention Centre – 546 Mount Albert Road, Three Kings
- Birkenhead Leisure Centre – 46 Mahara Avenue, Birkenhead
Waste collection
- As you are aware we have worked with private sector partner operators to make available eight facilities for disposal of storm/flood damaged material for free for residents that are unable to cover the cost of disposal. We now have 9 facilities across the region that Aucklanders can access. Working on adding more facilities.
- 240 people are already booked to go to the disposal facilities. Number of customers and tonnage received from different facilities is yet to come.
- Over 230 customers have been to Waitakere Transfer Station, receiving over 100 tonnes to date.
- Skip bins have been delivered to areas of communal need and a waste management plan is being developed and operationalised to address contaminated household waste.
- NZDF and Task Force Green are assisting Solid Waste teams at skip bin sites across the region.
Water supply
- There has been a significant impact on operations due to last night’s rain. Additional staff and contractors were rostered on through the night and are available today.
- Tap water remains safe to drink.
- Water reservoirs were filled across Auckland last night, anticipating heavy rainfall.
- Strong progress to resolve the water supply issues in Titirangi and Glen Eden. Customers in affected areas were surveyed last night and may be re-surveyed to understand how their situation has changed.
- 10 wastewater pump stations were electrically damaged on Friday. All pump stations are running. Wairau is running at a reduced capacity, so some wastewater is still overflowing into the local waterway.
- All 18 wastewater treatment plants are operational
8:51am - Auckland Airport says it's open and operating despite the severe weather overnight.
8:47am - Auckland Transport (AT) has issued the below update on the city's roading network:
A range of roads and public transport services across Auckland are currently affected by severe weather and heavy rainfall overnight.
Buses are replacing all services between Britomart and Swanson on the Western Line due to an earlier power issue, while services are running to reduced timetables on the Eastern and Southern lines.
The Northern Busway is currently closed between the Smales Farm and Akoranga stations, with buses detouring through local roads.
Bus and ferry services are currently experiencing delays and late cancellations due to flooding and detours. Please check the AT Mobile app or website for the latest information on public transport services.
Roads in central Auckland have been the hardest hit, with Tāmaki Dr closed due to slips and flooding. Heavy rain in the Waitakere Range has seen further slips along Scenic Dr overnight.
As of 8am there are also lane closures or road closures affecting the following roads and areas:
North
- Wairau Rd/Porana intersection
- Fred Thomas Dr
Central
- Fanshawe St
- Greenlane/Manukau Rd
- Mt Wellington
- Gillies Ave
South
- Awhitu Peninsula
West
- Te Henga Rd (need to use Bethells as a detour)
- Woodbay Rd
We continue to urge Aucklanders to take extreme care when ravelling on the network, consider whether your travel is necessary and plan your full return journey.
8:39am - There's still a risk of heavy showers in Auckland on Wednesday morning despite the worst of the rain passing through, MetService says.
8:30am - Fire and Emergency New Zealand has responded to more than 50 weather-related events in Auckland on Wednesday morning.
8:22am - The image below shows surface flooding south of Kaitaia.
8:12am - There are reports of the Awhitu Peninsula being cut off due to multiple slips, Civil Defence controller Kelleher says. Auckland Transport is following up the reports, she says.
8:07am - Civil Defence controller Rachel Kelleher says there have been reports of trees falling on houses in Mt Albert and Whiford.
8:04am - Transport Minister Michael Wood said in a statement many vulnerable residents have been evacuated in Auckland.
"This will be another difficult day in Auckland," he said on Twitter. "Please prioritise safety... restrict journeys to only what is necessary.
"Be very cautious if you are on the roads. And as we have throughout, let's keep looking after one another."
7:59am - A Civil Defence press conference with the latest on the Auckland flooding emergency is due to start. Watch it live in the video above.
7:57am - State Highway 1 between Northcote and Esmonde Rds has now reopened, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi says.
7:50am - Western train line services won't be operating until further notices due to a power outage, Auckland Transport says.
7:47am - Civil Defence will provide an update on the Auckland flooding emergency during a press conference at 8am. You'll be able to watch that live in the video above or in the Facebook link below.
7:43am - The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has provided the below update on the North Island's State Highway network:
Auckland region
Heavy rainfall this morning around Auckland has seen severe surface flooding and closures on parts of the state highway network and onramps and offramps also affected. Please continue to drive to the conditions and check our journey planner or Twitter feed for updates.
Northland region
SH1 Brynderwyn to Waipu
This stretch of road remains closed from the SH12 intersection to Waipu.
Motorists should expect delays with a detour via Waipu/Mangawhai. Slips have now been cleared but the risk of further slips means the road will remain closed for now.
SH1 Dome Valley
This remains open but is still impacted by multiple slips - we continue to monitor closely and road users are asked to drive with care.
SH16 Helensville to Waimauku
Due to flooding, SH16 is closed between Bradly Rd and Hutchinson Rd south of Helensville. Delay your journey or consider alternative route.
Waikato/Coromandel region
SH 26 Te Aroha to Paeroa
Due to flooding on this section of highway, the road is closed. Motorists are advised to expect delays and take extra care in the area.
SH25A Kopu to Hikuai
The highway remains closed until further notice following a large section of road collapsing over the weekend. The Tapu-Coroglen and 309 roads are also closed.
Detour is State Highway 2 via Karangahake Gorge.
The gorge remains open however we are closely monitoring for any signs of flooding. It may close at short notice.
SH37 Waitomo
SH37 remains closed between the roundabout at SH3 and Fullerton Road. Detour available.
7:39am - Speaking from Kaitaia in the Far North, Newshub's Ashleigh Yates said the damage hasn't been as bad as anticipated.
"Authorities have breathed a huge sigh of relief," she told AM. "I have just spoken to Civil Defence and they said it has been a relatively quiet night with no real issues to report.
"There were some heavy downpours around the region and there are some power outages. The state of emergency is still in place and there is a section of State Highway 1 closed."
7:34am - In an update on Wednesday morning, Thames-Coromandel District Mayor Len Salt said there are some slips throughout the region and some roads remain closed.
Salt said rivers and water levels are high and urged people to take care.
7:33am - Speaking from Coromandel, AM's Mitch Redman said rain was still falling and expected to continue until about 4pm.
7:27am - The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi's message to avoid travel is being reiterated by the police.
"In some areas of heavy flooding, roadblocks are in place," a police statement said.
"Please do not drive through flood waters and remember hazards and debris could lurk beneath the surface and flood waters could be contaminated.
"Follow Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for regular updates on State Highways across Auckland and Northland."
7:24am - Rain is easing in some parts of Auckland. However, a heavy rain warning remains in place until at least 8am.
MetService is expected to provide an update shortly.
7:15am - Civil Defence's Roger Ball says Auckland isn't out of the woods yet.
"[The] heavy rain band has gone through Auckland and it has caused some damage," he told AM.
"People are being asked to delay travel by Waka Kotahi.
"I would go with that advice, they are the experts - it is really helpful to responders if the roads are uncongested and they can get to incidents."
7:05am - Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) says it's inundated with calls and is urging people to only call 111 if life or property is at risk.
"Our communications centre has put our 'multiple incident procedure' in place," FENZ Counties Manukau district manager Brad Mosby said. "We are prioritising calls to properties with people in vulnerable circumstances, such as the elderly.
"We have sufficient resources around Auckland to respond to these priority calls and we are asking people to only call 111 where life or property is at threat.
"Calls to flooded basements, for example, are not urgent. Please delay reporting those kinds of incidents until the current rainstorm has passed."
7:04am - RNZ is reporting there's water up to door handles on Parnell's The Strand.
7am - MetService meteorologist Angus Hines told AM the next few hours will be crucial with more rain is expected.
"A narrow band of quite heavy rain... is just starting to kick off," he said. "That same flooding, those same severe weather impacts that we saw towards the end of last week and across the weekend, this extra rain is just meaning that is happening all over again in some parts of Auckland."
6:51am - State Highway 20 between Queenstown Rd and Neilson St will soon be closed due to "significant" flooding, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi says.
The agency is urging motorists to avoid this route.
6:45am - There are reports of flooding in homes in northern and central parts of Auckland.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has confirmed multiple homes in Devonport, on Auckland's North Shore, are receiving assistance.
Homes in Royal Oak, Mt Roskill and Lynfield have also requested help from FENZ.
Meanwhile, footage supplied to AM shows flooding in Parnell and Sandringham.
6:30am - Multiple sections of Auckland's motorway network is flooded after heavy rainfall overnight.
Badly effected motorways include State Highway 1 between Northcote and Esmonde Rds, which is closed in both directions.
SH20 between Queenstown Rd and Neilson St, the Ellerslie Panmure Highway interchange, SH16 at the Stanley St/Parnell Rise intersection, the northbound lanes of SH1 at Greenlane and the eastbound off-ramp of SH16 at St Lukes Rd are also impacted by flooding.
"Please delay your journey on all motorways until all locations can be advised," the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said.
