Search for woman

Search and rescue teams have picked up where they left off as efforts to find a missing Canterbury woman continued yesterday. About 40 volunteers, dogs and helicopters searched for Rangiora 20-year-old Emma Beattie on Sunday. They were stood down about 4.30pm in hot weather. The search resumed yesterday morning with 32 people in the field and 45 involved overall. Fresh teams were to take over in the to give crews relief from the heat. Beattie was last seen at her Fernside home about 11pm on Friday, but police believe she may have been near the Ashley River on Saturday.

Motorcyclist named

The motorcyclist who died when he crashed into a fence on the West Coast on Sunday has been named as Jacob Jupp. Jupp, a 26-year-old from Westport, crashed on Stephen Rd, , near Westport, about 7.25pm. He died at the scene.

Body on beach

Police have found a body on a rugged beach near Raglan. Police were alerted on Sunday evening by a man collecting paua near Papanui Pt – a rugged west coast spot north of Ruapuke. Senior Sergeant Phil Ruddell said It was too dark and dangerous to launch a search immediately. Searchers got under way at first light yesterday and it was confirmed at 2pm that a body had been located. Formal identification was to be completed.

Napier water ‘critically low’

Hot, dry weather has led to water restrictions in Napier. The Napier City Council said yesterday its reservoirs had dropped to ‘‘critically low levels’’. ‘‘That means if we don’t act now, we run the very real risk of running out of water at some stage soon. Maybe even tonight,’’ the council said. A ‘‘total watering ban’’ is in place, which means no washing cars, filling pools or watering gardens. Niwa climate scientist Chris Brandolino said Napier had 12mm of rain in November, 21 per cent of normal. Prospects for rain this week were ‘‘slim to none’’, he said.