• Civil defence is preparing Taupō residents for evacuation because of flooding risks from river flow. 
• Fire and Emergency had about to 60 callouts in Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Waikato. 
• Cold weather follows the wild weather, with snow isolating Mackenzie Country and temperatures dropping. 

Civil Defence is knocking on doors in the Taupō area preparing people to evacuate as flooding from heavy rain overnight has caused the Tauranga-Taupō River to swell to breaking point.

The deluge across the North Island that begun Wednesday afternoon has seen Fire and Emergency in the upper North Island race to pick up trees off powerlines and homes, and rescue vehicles from floodwaters.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed much of the upper North Island overnight but the MetService rain radar shows the worst of the thunderstorms have moved to the west of the country.

However, a heavy rain warning remains in place for Bay of Plenty east of Whakatane and inland Gisborne until 7am and a strong wind watch has been issued for Taranaki and inland Whanganui north of Whanganui City until 6am, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne/Tairawhiti until 7am and Hawke’s Bay until 11am.

Taupō’s Civil Defence public information officer said 70 properties were at risk of being flooded when the Tauranga-Taupō River flow reached their lakefront settlement near Tuki St.

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Land Search and Rescue were knocking and readying people in Taupō to evacuate. 

“The river has already peaked, we are just waiting to see what that impact is for the homes down the river,” Taupō’s Civil Defence public information officer said. 

“We are telling people to prepare.” 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Fire and Emergency said they had 60 callouts overnight in the Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Waikato, mostly for trees coming down on houses, onto powerlines and flooding. 

He said the flooding was primarily in Auckland and concentrated between 9pm and 10pm. 

Fire and Emergency crew from Onehunga have attended the Walpole Street underpass in Ellerslie after reports of a vehicle trapped in floodwaters. Photo / Hayden Woodward. 

In Wellington, Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Belinda Beets said the service was called to Sunhaven Drive just after 2am after reports part of a roof hand landed on another home. 

She said there were no reports of injuries and while the occupants had found somewhere else to stay tonight, their roof had been secured using wire. 

Beets said that just after 5am crews were also called to Carterton after reports the strong gales were blowing flashings off a dairy and another home.He said there had been a “steady stream” of calls in Bay of Plenty and Waikato, including helping Civil Defence near the Taupō River. 

South Island regions isolated by snowfall 

Put away the raincoat and bring out the puffer jacket as wild weather moves off New Zealand, leading to a cold snap. 

Snow has already isolated areas of the Mackenzie Country this morning with State Highway 80 from Lake Pukaki to Aoraki and SH8 Lake Pukaki to Fairlie closed after overnight falls. 

Most heavy rain and wind watches and warnings are forecast to expire by late morning as the rain moves off New Zealand. 

MetService forecaster John Law told the Herald today would be a “slightly quieter day”. 

“It will be pretty windy for places like Wellington, Wairarapa and even Auckland,” he said. 

“It will be a windy start to the day, but not as windy as yesterday.” 

Law said the southwesterlies would make for a cold day. 

According to MetService, Auckland and Hamilton are forecast to reach a high of 19C today. 

Tauranga is set to peak at 20C while Napier is forecast to reach 22C. 

However, temperatures are forecast to plummet in the South Island with Christchurch reaching a high of 10C and a low of -1C and Queenstown hitting a high of 8C and a low of -2C. 

A snowfall warning is forecast to come into force for Milford Rd (SH94) from 11am to 8pm. 

“Two to 5cm of snow may accumulate above 600m on the road with less down to 400m.” 

Meanwhile, a heavy swell warning is in place for Kapiti-Porirua Coast to Cape Terawhiti until 3pm. 

Waves are forecast to reach 3m in the morning, lowering to 1m in the afternoon. 

Law said temperatures were forecast to keep falling as New Zealand heads into the weekend. 

“For most of us, as we head towards the weekend, it’s definitely going to feel like June,” he said. 

“Places like Wanaka, Alexandra [will have] daytime highs of 3 or 4C and nighttime lows down below freezing.”