Weather warnings are now in full effect in the Nelson/Tasman and West Coast regions, with rain hammering down.
A state of emergency has been declared in the Nelson/Tasman region and earlier one was declared for the West Coast region as residents brace for flooding caused by wild weather hitting the region.
Some residents are being told to evacuate, while others have been told to prepare for evacuations.
What you need to know:
- A red heavy rain warning is in place for Nelson, Buller and Westland until Thursday afternoon and evening, with MetService warning these areas could up to 600mm of rain
- The rain is expected to cause dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips
- An "atmospheric river" is expected to hit the West Coast on Wednesday, with predictions some of the worst weather in years to impact Westport and the Nelson-Tasman region, NIWA says
- Some Westport and Nelson residents are being told to evacuate
- Multiple South Island State Highways are either closed or affected by the wild weather
- In the North Island, heavy rain warnings for Auckland including Great Barrier Island have been upgraded to orange.
These live updates have now finished.
4:55pm - MetService has upgraded Nelson to a red weather warning.
The region now joins Buller and Westland under a Red Heavy Rain Warning.
The warning has been issued from Cape Soucis, through Nelson City to Stoke from 4pm Wednesday until 11pm Thursday.
Residents can expect a further 250 to 400 mm of rain to accumulate on top of what has already fallen, with a peak rate of 15 to 25 mm/h possible.
4:20pm - WeatherWatch has created a significant flood risk map for the next 24 hours.
Red areas show where there is a high risk of flooding, while white shows where there is likely to be no flooding.
4:00pm - The Tasman District Police have advised motorists to limit their travel to essential travel only, as the current severe weather event has closed several roads in the region with more closures likely.
Some streets in Nelson have been completely submerged by the downpour of rain.
A video posted to Twitter shows parts of Dodson Valley inundated with flooding, while a resident shared a video of flooding on their street in Nelson.
3:40pm - NIWA Weather said Tākaka received more than a month's worth of rain in 15 hours today, warning there is much more to come.
So far 227mm of rain has fallen in total since 12am Tuesday compared to an August monthly normal of 181mm.
3:25pm - Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese has declared a state of emergency after the Maitai river in Nelson East breached its banks.
Nelson Tasman Civil Defence Emergency Management is asking people who live near the river from the Nile St Bridge to the Golf Course to evacuate.
Around 70 homes have been asked to evacuate.
People are being asked to stay with friends and family if they are able.
If people have no safe place to go, they should head to the Saxton Stadium where they will be able to gain assistance.
Mayor Reese says there are preparations underway to look after people who need to leave their homes and there will be trained people on hand to offer support.
People are being asked to take pets, essential medications and warm clothing.
Civil Defence is asking people to avoid bridges and rivers.
2:45pm - Below is MetService's latest rainfall accumulation data:
2:30pm - A reminder from Nelson/Tasman Civil Defence about wastewater amid the wild weather:
Some wastewater pumping stations are not coping with the high volumes of water and are overflowing.
This is a particular problem in parts of Golden Bay and the Sunview Heights pump station, so please only flush if you NEED to in those areas.
Other parts of Tasman may also be affected as the weather continues.
Please treat all surface water as potentially being contaminated with sewage and avoid contact with the immediate areas around pump sites.
2:15pm - Below are further details from Buller Civil Defence's latest press statement:
The Buller River is likely to peak in Westport tomorrow morning - the time is still unclear but likely to be between early and mid morning.
As well, the tide will be slightly higher than it was in February this year.
The combination of rainfall, river flows, tide and sea swell increase risk of surface flooding in areas that were affected at that time.
"Based on this information, I have assessed that there is no need for a general evacuation of the Westport area at this time," Civil Defence controller Al Lawn said. "However, voluntary evacuations may be necessary due to stormwater ponding, surface flooding and stopbank seepage in areas around Forbes and Coates Sts, and also properties within the Orowaiti Overflow."
People in the Orowaiti Overflow area who were flooded in February should also consider voluntary self-evacuation.
We don't make this recommendation lightly but we know people need time to plan and prepare. We are taking a precautionary approach and asking people to move in daylight to avoid the risk of moving in the dark, placing themselves and our emergency responders at risk.
Please consider your own circumstances and act now. If possible, make your own arrangements to stay with family or friends, and make arrangements for your pets.
Teams of police, Defence Force, fire brigade and LandSAR volunteers will be going door-to-door in these areas this afternoon to make sure residents have received the message and to give them reassurance.
If people need help to evacuate or lift valuables, call the emergency operations centre on 0800 234 533.
Our welfare teams are setting up evacuation centres for those who are not able to arrange their own accommodation. People will be referred to those centres after being assessed by the flood recovery hub.
Mr Lawn said local arrangements were in place for Sedonville and Mokihinui residents who were affected by the February flood.
Landowners with stock in low-lying areas that were flooded in February should shift livestock to high ground today.
"We are aware that another weather system may affect Buller District on Saturday and we will be providing more advice about this as we get more certainty about how it will affect our district," Lawn said.
2pm - Buller Civil Defence is advising people located in the areas shown on the map below to self-evacuate on Wednesday.
"The forecast ranges for river levels have been reduced but the Orowaiti Overflow area, Forbes and Coates Sts are still considered vulnerable... The Buller River is likely to peak in Westport tomorrow morning - the time is still unclear but likely to be between early and mid morning.
"Based on this information, I have assessed that there is no need for a general evacuation of the Westport area at this time... However, voluntary evacuations may be necessary due to stormwater ponding, surface flooding and stopbank seepage in areas around Forbes and Coates Sts, and also properties within the Orowaiti Overflow," Civil Defence controller Al Lawn says.
1:41pm - Below is MetService's latest rain radar, showing the bulk of wet weather in the top half of the South Island. There's also some rain about the Far North.
1:22pm - MetService says between 200 and 350mm of rain has fallen in the Tasman ranges so far while 230mm has fallen at Franz Josef and 125mm at Hokitika.
1:06pm - Nelson/Tasman Civil Defence reiterates flooding and slips are making travel unpredictable.
"Please take care and delay your travel if you can, or plan for delays," the emergency management agency says.
12:37pm - Below are all the road closures/impacts across the Tasman region:
Nelson (via Nelson City Council)
- Slip: reports of boulders blocking a lane along Wakefield Quay, traffic having to turn around
- We are aware of some areas of the Maitai River flooding and have contractors out assessing this. While trigger levels have not yet been reached to close bridges and roads, we ask people to please stay away from the Maitai River
- We are also aware of some slips on roads in north Nelson that run near the Wakapuaka River
- The Montgomery Square carpark entrance from Bridge St is also closed due to flooding
- Reports of stormwater overflow and surface flooding have been received near Nelson Intermediate, Tipahi, Tukuka and Kawai St South.
Tasman (via Tasman District Council):
- Tākaka-Collingwood Main Rd SH60 is now closed at Waitapu Bridge
- Pupu Valley Rd closed
- Golden Hills Rd closed
- Abel Tasman Dr closed
- Pōhara Valley Rd closed
- One Spec Rd closed
- Collingwood Puponga Rd closed by Whites Bridge
- We have reported slips above Pohutukawa Pl, Pōhara
- There is also extensive flooding reported along low reaches of Bartlett Creek and Ellis Creek, Abel Tasman Dr, Pōhara
- Wainui Hill is closed just north of Tata Beach due to slips
- Appleby Bridge to Three Brothers Corner, Three Brothers Corner to Ranzau Rd and Whakatu Dr has surface flooding.
State Highways (via Waka Kotahi)
- SH60 Takaka. Closed between Haldane Rd and Pupu Valley Rd intersection. No detour available. Avoid the area or delay your journey if possible
- SH6 Nelson. Rocks Rd. Closed due to a slip
- SH6 Annesbrook (Nelson). Due to flooding, road users should take care along this route
- SH6 Hira to Rai Valley (Nelson to Blenheim). Due to flooding, caution is advised for this route.
12:23pm - Below are the South Island State Highways closed/affected by the wild weather, as per the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi:
State Highway closures:
- SH60 Takaka. Closed between Haldane Rd and Pupu Valley Rd intersection. No detour available. Avoid the area or delay your journey if possible
- SH6 Nelson. Rocks Rd. Closed due to a slip
State Highway weather issues:
- SH6 Annesbrook (Nelson). Due to flooding, road users should take care along this route.
- SH6 Hira to Rai Valley (Nelson to Blenheim). Due to flooding, caution is advised for this route.
"For safety reasons, road users must obey all road closures," Waka Kotahi says. "They should also be aware going through a closed road will void their vehicle insurance policies should they get into trouble."
12:03pm - Buller District Deputy Mayor Sharon Roche told Newshub's Caley Callahan a lot of planning has gone into preparing for this weather event.
"We're planning the evacuation centres - they're all ready to be stood up... we'll only do that if they're actually needed," Roche says.
11:56am - Newshub's Leighton Heikell, speaking from Takaka in the Tasman District, says it's been raining consistently there all day.
"It is relentless and it is putting significant pressure on the Golden Bay area's infrastructure," he says.
"A lot of the roads around the area have been forced to close as a result.
"The big concern is that this is just the beginning - the rain is set to continue into tonight and tomorrow."
11:50am - Nelson/Tasman Civil Defence says first responders are on standby and emergency operations centres have been set up in the region.
"Right now, aside from it being wet and miserable, there's not too much to report but we are keeping an eye on rivers, roads and commuities across the region.
"If you can avoid travel today, please do so.
"In the meantime, stay dry if you can and make sure you have emergency supplies to hand."
11:46am - Modelling shows the weather event around Westport might not be as intense as first anticipated, West Coast Emergency Management says.
However, Civil Defence is still advising residents to prepare for self-evacuation.
"For Westport, if you experienced flooding in February or are feeling vulnerable due to proximity to the Orowaiti, you may want to consider self-evacuation," says West Coast Emergency Management Group controller Te Aroha Cook. "There may also be stormwater ponding, surface flooding and stopbank seepage. Self-evacuation includes making arrangements for pets and lifting valuables."
11:41am - Nelson City's Rocks Rd is closed due to a slip, police say.
"Please take an alternate route," a police statement says.
11am - Buller Civil Defence says another 10,000 sandbags arrived in Westport overnight to help households mitigate flooding risk.
"We are working very closely with emergency services, Waka Kotahi and other agencies to plan for all eventualities across the district," Civil Defence controller Al Lawn says.
10:46am - The Tasman District Council says Tākaka's sewage pump stations are struggling to cope with heavy rain in the area and some are overflowing.
"These overflows contain raw sewage and people must avoid contact with these areas," the council says. "Please treat all surface water as potentially contaminated."
10:40am - More details from MetService on its updated severe weather warnings:
10:32am - Heavy rain watches are also now in place for Marlborough, the Canterbury High Country, Bay of Plenty, Taihape, Taupō, Waikato and Coromandel.
A strong wind warning has also been issued for Northland.
10:30am - MetService has updated its severe weather warnings, confirming that red alerts remain in place for parts of the South Island.
10:28am - Further information from Nelson/Tasman Civil Defence:
We would like to reiterate that the weather is expected to get worse in the next 24 hours. Please ensure you take all the necessary precautions to prepare for potential hazards to keep your property, yourself and your loved ones safe.
Surface flooding, slips and tree falls are likely, so please delay unnecessary travel, particularly in the Golden Bay area and avoid the urge to go sightseeing.
Takaka sewage pump stations are struggling to cope with volumes and there are overflows at some sites. These overflows contain raw sewage and people must avoid these areas.
Surface flooding and slips have already begun to cause road closures in Golden Bay.
Collingwood-Puponga Rd is closed by Whites Bridge, One Spec Rd, Pohara Gully due to flooding. Wainui Hill is closed just north of Tata Beach due to slips.
Abel Tasman Dr is open (up to the Wainui Hill) but has a lot of surface flooding.
A surface flooding warning is also in place for SH60 Upper Takaka and Collingwood. The road remains open but please take extra care and drive to the conditions.
We will update further road closures as these are put in place.
10:15am - Buller Civil Defence says it's continuing to advise residents in low-lying areas of Westport who were impacted by flooding in February to prepare for self-evacuation on Wednesday - including making arrangements for pets and lifting valuables.
"We have done a lot of work to mitigate the effects of the rain and protect critical infrastructure but we recommend that householders who were flooded in February this year look at their own situation and take action today," Civil Defence controller Al Lawn says. "We are constantly assessing the information on river levels and the impacts of the rainfall, and at this stage we are not requiring a general evacuation. But people need to be aware that there is a significant amount of rain still to fall and the situation could change."
10:12am - MetService says 208mm of rain has fallen in Franz Josef so far, 110mm in Hokitika and 88mm in Westport.
The Tasman District has also recorded between 140 and 200mm of rain.
9:58am - Heavy rain warnings for Auckland including Great Barrier Island have now been upgraded to orange, MetService says.
9:53am - The Coastguard is urging West Coasters to ensure any boats on moorings or in marinas are secure amid the anticipated wild weather.
9:41am - Nelson/Tasman Emergency Management says anticipated heavy rain in the region is beginning.
"Steady rain is setting in across Golden Bay, particularly in the Aorere Valley where between 22 and 29mm has fallen overnight, and more than 240mm in the last 30 hours," Civil Defence says.
"The Aorere River just reached a level at which we can expect the Ferntown Rd, near Collingwood, to be flooded this morning, although the current low tide may delay this slightly.
"Other parts of Nelson/Tasman have received low to moderate amounts of rain overnight - with less than 3mm overnight in Murchison and around Nelson City, while up to 18mm has fallen around Riwaka."
9:30am - In the North Island, meanwhile, Auckland recorded its warmest August night since records began overnight - only dropping to 15.1C.
9:15am - The latest modelling from NIWA shows the northern and western South Island will see heavy rain throughout Wednesday night before easing on Thursday.
NIWA says that heavy rain will then re-develop on Friday into Saturday.
9am - Greymouth Mayor Tania Gibson says she's grateful a state of emergency has been declared on the West Coast, as it allows residents more time to prepare.
"We're lucky that we do have the lead-up time for preparation to bring extra resources in, and declaring that state of emergency yesterday just activated the resources that we need to get onto the [West] Coast," she told AM on Wednesday morning.
6:30am - NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll told Newshub Late on Tuesday there will be three rounds of extreme events, similar to the flooding the area experienced earlier this year.
"This is one of our strongest atmospheric rivers to occur during the month of August on record," Noll said.
"Extreme rainfall, we are talking one, two or possibly three months' worth of rain as well as slips and the potential for that to culminate in river flooding, so we are keeping a very close eye on the potential for that."
Grey District Mayor Tania Gibson told AM on Wednesday the wild weather is going to make it a long few days for the region.
"It was quite wet overnight but very eerily quiet out there at the moment," she told AM co-host Laura Tupou.
"We are waiting for things to ramp up later on this morning and over the next couple of days and into the weekend, so it's going to be quite a long few days, I believe."
Gibson said after the state of emergency was declared on Tuesday they've been able to bring in extra police, fire and emergence staff and the New Zealand Defence Force.
"There is a lot to do, and up in Buller they have been sandbagging and making sure that the flood protections are in place and getting people prepared," she told AM.
"It's a very anxious community up in Buller. People do know how to get prepared up there and will be over the next few days, making sure stock is on higher ground, making sure animals are safe and making sure the cars are ready with what they need if they need to evacuate.
"So there may be notices for evacuation at some point. So we're just urging people to keep an eye on the alerts and what's happening."
An orange heavy rain warning remains in place for the Tasman District, Marlborough Sounds, Richmond, Bryant ranges, Rai Valley and Nelson Region.
MetService warns that heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly and surface flooding and slips are also possible. Driving conditions may be hazardous.
A heavy rain watch remains for the Tasman District, Marlborough and the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers, while a strong wind watch is in place for Nelson, Tasman and Buller.
North Island
The North Island doesn't escape the wild weather with weather warnings and watches in place.
An orange heavy rain warning is in place for Mt Taranaki - where 450mm of rain is expected - and Northland until Friday.
Northland will also get battered by strong gales, with MetService issuing a strong wind warning until Thursday night.
MetService warns that strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
A heavy rain watch is in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taupo, Taihape and North Taranaki.
Auckland will also get battered by northeast winds which could approach severe gale in exposed places. A strong wind watch is in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Taranaki about and south of the Mountain and Taihape.
