Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Bay of Plenty
Photo:
MetService
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Bay of Plenty until about 9.30pm on Friday.
Areas affected include South Waikato, Western Bay of Plenty, and Rotorua.
MetService said the thunderstorms are moving east-southeast and are expected to bring heavy rain, which may cause flash flooding and make driving extremely hazardous.
Meanwhile, a slip has come down in the Kaimai Range and is currently blocking State Highway 29 near the lookout.
Police said drivers between the Bay of Plenty and Waikato should delay their travel or take another route.
SH29 KAIMAI RANGES, BAY OF PLENTY - SLIP - 8:15PM
Due to a slip the road is now CLOSED between Te Poi and Tauriko. Eastbound traffic detour via SH28, SH5, and SH36. Reverse for Westbound. Allow at least an additional 90 minutes to your journey time for the detour. ^EH
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It comes as MetService said the bulk of the rain band that hit Auckland earlier in the evening has moved through Coromandel. It is now hitting Bay of Plenty, with heavy showers heading towards Rotorua.
A severe thunderstorm warning issued for Auckland was lifted after a significant "short, sharp" downpour hit the city after 5pm.
Meteorologist Katie Hillyer said the band of rain was heading east but the heavy rain was now mainly offshore and the intensity had reduced.
She said people should still keep an eye on the forecast.
Thunderstorm Warning issued In Bay of Plenty/Rotorua on a line of severe thunderstorms lying from PYES PA to NGONGOTAHA to GUTHRIE.
This line of severe thunderstorms is moving towards the eastsoutheast, and is expected to lie from OROPI to NGONGOTAHA to WAIKITE VALLEY at 08:45…
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A line of severe thunderstorms is moving towards the east, and is to be accompanied by very heavy rain.
Fire and Emergency services said they were responding to a number of natural events in Auckland as heavy rain hit the city.
Parts of Wairau Valley flooded after heavy rain lashed the North Shore suburb.
Porana Road was closed, with water cutting off the street and closing one of the local Pak 'n Save's entrances.
However the flooding did not forced the supermarket to close, as it did during the 2023 flooding.
MetService said the rain in Auckland was expected to completely clear by midnight.
Auckland update: That short-sharp line that brought heavy rain (20-35mm) has faded to the east and rain is on its way out altogether.
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MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Coromandel Peninsula until 8.30pm on Friday and for Bay of Plenty including Rotorua until 11pm on Friday.
A heavy rain watch is in place across Auckland and Great Barrier Island, as well as Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.
MetService said up to 30mm of rain fell on the city in one hour.
There are reports of flooding in the suburb of Mt Roskill and about 50 domestic flights were disrupted by the downpour.
Gridlock on Upper Harbour Motorway following a crash.
Photo:
RNZ/Calvin Samuel
There were multiple crashes across Auckland's motorway network as the rain came down.
Three of the four southbound lanes near the Onewa Road on-ramp on the Northern Motorway were blocked at 5.50pm but that has now been moved clear of lanes.
Another "multi-vehicle" crash westbound on the Upper Harbour Bridge has also been now been cleared.
More crashes were to follow. On the Southern Motorway a single vehicle crash blocked a southbound lane after Market Road and on the Northwestern Motorway a lane was blocked eastbound after the St Lukes Road on-ramp. These have also both now been cleared.
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