Weekend’s big wet lingers on
Severe weather watch in North Island with risk of warning-level rain.
Summer continues to be put on hold — with the country in for yet another drenching as a super-soaker weather system shows no sign of easing.
The big wet hammering the top of the North Island is set to intensify today as it spreads south, bringing heavy rain and the risk of flooding, slips and thunderstorms.
But it is still too soon to say what impact a tropical cyclone that is doing damage in the Pacific might have on New Zealand later this week.
MetService has issued heavy rain warnings for Mt Taranaki, Nelson and western Marlborough, where up to 130mm of rain was expected to fall by midnight tonight. Up to 180mm was set to fall about the ranges west of Motueka.
MetService warned heavy rain in these areas may rapidly fill streams and rivers, cause surface flooding and slips and hamper driving.
Warnings have also been issued for Buller and Westland from this morning through to 3am Monday, where peak intensities could reach 25mm per hour.
It was a wet and muggy start to the weekend for the North Island, with humidity levels sitting at 100 per cent in parts of Northland yesterday.
A whopping 72.6mm of rain fell in Mahia, in the Hawke’s Bay region, in the 24 hours to 5pm yesterday.
Almost 53mm of rain fell in Kerikeri in the same 24-hour period. And Auckland didn’t escape unscathed, with a weather station in Warkworth recording 43mm of rain.
Low cloud, rather than rain, caused problems in the capital and flights were delayed and others cancelled at Wellington Airport. Among those caught up was US rapper Macklemore, who had to land in Palmerston North and drive to Wellington for his show.
A complex low-pressure system with a series of warm fronts is set to bring more wet weather to the North Island today and tomorrow.
MetService has issued a severe weather watch for much of the island.
A heavy rain watch was last night in place for Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, northern Taranaki, western Taupo, Taihape, Horowhenua, Kapiti Coast, Tararua range and Wellington through to early Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Cyclone Gita has hit Samoa with force, causing high winds, widespread flooding and power outages. There were also reports of uprooted trees and roofs being torn off in the Pacific nation on Friday.
MetService said the category three cyclone had the potential to become a category four in the next 24 hours as it moved closer to Niue.
And according to Niwa, a potential second tropical cyclone was now developing to the west and northwest of Gita. The new cyclone would be called Hola.
MetService meteorologist Amy Rossiter said it was still too early to know if remnants of Cyclone Gita would eventually make their way to New Zealand.
More would be known by the middle of the week, Rossiter said.
Australia and New Zealand are closely monitoring tropical Cyclone Gita, which has caused flooding and wind damage in Samoa and is still building.
A state of disaster has been declared in Samoa as authorities focus on rescue and evacuation in the wake of Cyclone Gita.
The cyclone tore through the country but is now moving away to the southeast.
Gita was expected to veer towards Niue overnight and pass close to the island’s east coast.
From there, the cyclone was forecast to arc westward towards Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, on Monday.
Ulu Bismarck Crawley, head of Samoa’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said the north coast and riverways prone to flooding were the worst hit.
There were no reports of injury or death and emergency services were focusing on people isolated by the storm.
Yesterday in Auckland, Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop said New Zealand and Australia had been briefed on the category-two cyclone in the southwest Pacific and were ready to assist.
Yesterday afternoon, UNICEF NZ tweeted: “We are monitoring the impact of Cyclone #Gita on Samoa, Niue, and Tonga, and ready to respond with emergency supplies if required.”
WeatherWatch said weather models suggested Gita would track further southward towards New Zealand next weekend, or early the following week.
But it was too early to know if it would directly impact New Zealand’s weather.
The cyclone would be stronger than Cyclone Fehi, which caused extensive damage on New Zealand’s West Coast last weekend.
The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre says winds will increase much more in the coming days, and forecast winds over 150km/h and gusts over 200km/h by mid next week.
The Samoa Red Cross said respondents had been sent to the south and Aleipata coasts of Upolu as telephone contact had been lost.
To the east, American Samoa power was knocked out in large areas and businesses and schools were ordered shut.
In news reports American Samoa’s governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, said the cyclone had caused a lot of damage to homes and utilities.
Lolo made an emergency declaration and said it was likely the territory would ask for assistance from the United States.
Weather models suggested Gita would track further southward towards New Zealand next weekend, or early the following week.
Weather Watch