Cyclone Gabrielle: Nearly every beach in Auckland unsafe to swim in

The copious amounts of rain over the past few days have made the majority of Auckland beaches unsafe to swim in.

After Cyclone Gabrielle lashed the upper North Island, almost all beaches in Auckland are now filled with faecal matter. The heavy rain has caused many beaches to be affected by wastewater overflows.

Nearly 40 beaches across Auckland have been black-marked on Auckland Council's Safeswim website. The black mark is the highest warning the Auckland Council can issue and people are advised not to swim in those areas.

Cyclone Gabrielle: Nearly every beach in Auckland unsafe to swim in
Photo credit: Safeswim website

Many other beaches in the region have been marked red, which means swimming also isn't advised in those areas.

The only beaches which have been marked with a green water droplet and are safe to swim in are:

  • Titirangi Beach
  • Mellons Bay
  • Little Shoal Bay
  • Cheltenham
  • Murray's Bay
  • Little Manly
  • Army Bay
  • Magazine Bay
  • Maraetai Beach
  • Waiwera Bay

A map of the beaches in Auckland and their safety levels is available here.