White, wet and wild
Rain, wind, snow and slips have lashed Manawatu, and more brutal weather is on its way.
Snow dusted parts of the region, reaching Hunterville, Kimbolton, Taihape, Dannevirke and the Saddle Rd, on Thursday.
Less enchanting were the closed roads, surface flooding, and powercuts throughout the Central Region, brought on by heavy rain and wild winds.
Slips also caused chaos at Piripiri and on the Pahiatua Track.
Metservice meteorologist Peter Little warns it’s not over yet.
White-capped hills are expected for Friday, with snowfall above 700 metres.
However, the conditions would not be as severe as on Thursday, with heavy rain and southeasterly winds expected to ease by noon, he said.
Horizons Regional Council Emergency Operations Centre controller Michael Mccartney said as much as 100 millimetres of rain was expected on Friday in the Tararua Range, which was more than on Thursday.
In Palmerston North, the Mangaone Steam was expected to activate the spillway on Friday morning, which may affect some roads in the Milson Line area.
A welfare centre was set up on Thursday at Ruapehu District Council’s service centre in Ohakune for tourists and residents seeking support.
The Antarctic-like cold snap hit Manawatu after travelling up from the South Island.
Police said in a statement high winds, rain and snow had caused ‘‘a trifecta of trouble’’ across the lower and central North Island.
Motorists were advised to avoid any unnecessary travel.
Many Palmerston North residents stayed indoors on Thursday as heavy rain fell throughout the day, causing surface flooding on the Fitzherbert Bridge and on Church St, near Victoria Ave.
Children at Turitea Childcare Centre were asked to go home at noon, as the Turitea stream reached its crisis point. Centre president Alice Bigwood said they wanted to err on the side of caution.
Linton, Pahiatua Shannon and also experienced flooding. Fire crews and police were assisting at sites where floodwaters covered roads, and surrounded shops.
The Pahiatua Community Civil Defence Centre opened on Thursday, in case residents needed to be evacuated.
The Tararua District Council was monitoring flooding on Tiraumea Rd, near Tyndall St, the north end of Huxley St, Wilson and Maire streets. Snowfall also covered hills and closed roads in the Central District. The Desert Road, and State Highway 1 from Hunterville to Waiouru, was closed and the alternative routes through National Park via SH47 and SH4 were also shut. In Rangiwahia, there were reports from residents of as much as 35 centimetres of snow falling. Fallen trees and branches had brought down power lines and smashed poles across the region. In a statement, Powerco network operations manager Phil Marsh said snow in the central North Island had blocked several highways and prevented field crews from getting to problem areas. About 11,000 customers in Wairarapa, Whanganui, Manawatu and Taranaki were without power on Thursday afternoon, with the majority remaining without power until early Friday morning. Powerco had brought in extra field crew to cope with restoring supply. ‘‘The snow has made road access impossible and helicopters will be needed to survey the damage, particularly in the Ohakune, Waiouru and Taihape areas.’’
High winds had hindered efforts on Thursday, he said.
Efforts were expected to be made early on Friday to restore power to as many customers as possible.
On Thursday, temperatures hovered around 6 degrees. Friday was expected to remain in the high single-digits, but could reach 10 degrees.
Temperatures were expected to drop to zero at the weekend.
Dannevirke resident Wayne Jacobsen said snow fell in the town about every six years.
He had noticed snow falling about 5am.
Greg May said it was picturesque but created a ‘‘hell of a mess’’.
By 10am, the town’s footpaths were covered in brown slush.
Catching Pen cafe owners Sam and Punga Mullins said the snow hadn’t deterred people coming in for a hot cuppa.
Sam Mullins said the snowfall not only provided a great view, but also kept her children occupied.
‘‘The kids were out there at 6am. They were just throwing snow around. It’s their first time in it.’’
Palmerston North is unlikely to get any snowfall, the city being less than 50 metres above sea-level.