‘Make it rain’
STORMING SHEERAN DEFIES ELEMENTS
Ed Sheeran defied the storm. The touring Brit singer, a Kiwi favourite, performed to a sell-out performance last night in Auckland – despite awful weather conditions that forced promoters to send out a public warning. Frontier Touring said it was moving the staging and screens at Mt Smart Stadium to ensure the safety of the audience.
Much of Auckland, Northland, Waikato and Taranaki experienced torrential rain yesterday and the MetService has warned that the weather may continue today.
It has put out severe thunderstorm warnings for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua, which have the potential to bring localised downpours of 25 to 40mm an hour. Heavy rainfall also caused major delays in traffic in Auckland as parts of the region received up to 43mm of rain by early Saturday evening.
Hannah Young had left her baby at home to go to Sheeran’s concert with her friends. She was in high spirits, excited to see the ‘‘beautiful’’ English singer. ‘‘No, the rain makes no difference at all,’’ she said, her voice raised in excitement.
The weather washed out most of the day’s play in the day-night cricket test between England and New Zealand at Eden Park.
State Highway 1 to Cape Reinga was closed on Saturday, after heavy rain caused a 20 metre-wide section of State Highway 1 north of Kaitaia to wash away. The New Zealand Transport Agency advised no alternative route was available
In Waikato, a stormy evening delayed Hamilton’s anticipated Balloons Over Waikato Nightglow until tonight. And in Taranaki, there was localised flooding with Brooklands Zoo receiving a 17.5mm of rain.