Deluge chaos in Auckland
Torrential rain brings transport network to a halt but calm is expected this afternoon
Aucklanders can expect some relief from yesterday’s wet weather which caused congestion, delays and cancellations across the city. Trains were brought to a halt yesterday evening while the deluge slowed traffic and caused congestion on Auckland’s motorways as commuter rush hour commenced.
Auckland Transport braced itself for network-wide “very heavy traffic congestion”, delays and cancellations to bus and train services caused by flooding and other related incidents.
MetService has forecast showers, possibly heavy, today but the rain was expected to clear by the afternoon as the northwesterly switched southwesterly, before skies turned partly cloudy.
Tomorrow’s forecast for Auckland paints a similar picture: a partly cloudy day with a shower or two, mainly from the afternoon.
The flood-hit West Coast in the South Island is in line for another day of rain, as the clean-up from last week’s severe “one-in-100-year” weather event continues.
A Met-Service-issued “heavy rain watch” is in force for Buller and the ranges of Westland until 1pm today, when up to 70mm of rain at a rate of up to 25mm per hour was expected and thunderstorms were possible.
The weather forced hundreds of people on the West Coast from their houses while slips closed roads and floodwaters damaged properties.
The weather washed out a section of the Heaphy Track, as well as toppling trees and causing a large slip.
Department of Conservation (DOC) staff had begun repairs on the track, which remained closed.
The storm had also left some parts of Queen Charlotte track impassable due to slips, fallen trees and a bridge being washed away. The track was partially open — but sections badly impacted could remain closed until the end of September due to the extent of the damage and repairs needed, DOC said.
The dark clouds were expected to ease on Friday and Saturday in Buller and Westport, but return by Sunday and hang around for the week.
The sun will make more of an appearance in Nelson, another area badly impacted by last week’s storm. Early morning rain is forecast today before turning partly cloudy, followed by two fine days.
Nelson’s weather next week is a mixed bag of rain clouds from Sunday to Tuesday, followed by three days of fine or cloudy days, with light winds.