The clean-up of Northland continues after a weekend of wild weather, with severe rainfall leaving a number of towns a little worse-for-wear.
Speaking to More FM on Sunday morning, Northland Civil Defence spokesperson Murray Soljak said "a lot was achieved on Saturday" by contractors and emergency services to reopen roads across the region.
Emergency centres established in Whangārei for local evacuees on Friday night have been closed, Soljak confirmed, as many were forced to flee their homes to escape the severe rain and flooding.
Since the rain has eased overnight, contractors are working "around the clock" to clean up the storm's path of destruction - but while some of the damage is relatively quick to fix, impairments to roading will take longer to rectify.
"For roading, some things are able to be resolved very easily - some things will take a little longer. In some cases there's been a loss of stability around the road or a slip, and it isn't that quick of a fix. It's a matter or prioritising," Soljak said.
"On my own drive home last night to the Tutukaka Coast, there were probably a dozen slips that had been cleared, moved to the side or coned off... contractors will have to go back through again and tidy that up, but in the meantime people are able to get on with their lives."
According to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), all state highways in Northland have reopened as of 8:30am on Sunday, aside from SH1 from Kaitaia to Okaihau, including Mangamuka Gorge. This highway is "not expected to reopen for some time", said the agency.
For people across Whangārei, Opua, Paihia and Waitangi, water has also become a significant issue.
"In these massive rainfall events, there's often damage to [water supply] equipment. Either the filters are getting clogged or pumped themselves, just being overwhelmed," Soljak explained.
"There are people working to get those restored, but in the meantime, in terms of treated water - they're left basically with the capacity that was there on Friday night."
As a result, Civil Defence is asking affected locals to use water solely for cooking, drinking or essential hygiene purposes. Soljak said the situation is "serious" and conservation is imperative as the remaining treated water is eked out among households.
"We've gone from 'conserve water' to a few days of having enough water - now people are like, 'why is my council telling me to save it?'... It is serious. It won't be for long... but households haven't quite realised how serious it is."
As of Sunday morning, showers, hail and the odd thunderstorm are still likely for Northland and Whangārei, according to MetService, with the risk of thunderstorms set to ease by the early evening.
Northland's severe weather has even been picked up by international outlets, with the BBC reporting Whangārei's "wettest July hour on record" as the city was swamped by nearly 40mm of rainfall between 8pm and 9pm on Friday. Al Jazeera also covered New Zealand's "one in a 500 year" weather event.
Gisborne and Hawke's Bay have also been battered by howling gales and torrential rainfall overnight, but Sunday's forecast is looking more promising. A few light showers can be expected, MetService reports.
However, roads are still "treacherous" across the region, Gisborne District Council spokesperson, Diana Dobson, said in a statement on Sunday. A number of roads remain closed as contractors work to clear debris and assess the network.
"People are being encouraged not to travel unless absolutely necessary and to please respect road closures. SH35 remains closed from Tolaga Bay to Makarika Road, just south of Ruatorea but it is hoped this will be opened late this afternoon," Dobson said.
In the Waikato region, Thames-Coromandel mayor Sandra Goudie told Newshub residents are "well-equipped" to deal with the hammering rainfall. As major slips continue to block main roads throughout the peninsula, many weekend workers are getting comfortable at their desks at home - one benefit of the COVID-19 restrictions during lockdown.
As of Sunday morning, usually sunny Nelson has been the worst affected by rain, with scattered falls across Marlborough forecasted to clear later on.
There are currently no severe weather warnings in place throughout the country.
