A man is lucky to be alive following a dramatic rescue from the roof of his vehicle after it was swept up in a flash flood north of Auckland this morning.
A driver was attempting to cross the ford from Falls Road, in Warkworth, when his vehicle was swept down the river at around 7am.
The man climbed out of the window and onto the roof as the ute became submerged.
He was then rescued by the fire brigade, who threw a rope and lifejacket.
The man was uninjured.
There is extensive flooding in the area.
Falls Road between Woodcocks Road and Mansel Drive has since been closed.
Fire and Emergency services have so far responded to 24 weather-related callouts since 6am, including 18 in Te Aroha, two in Paeroa and four in Thames.
A heavy rain warning is in place for the Coromandel Peninsula, Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay and the ranges.
Meanwhile, a strong wind watch is in place for Waikato near the Kaimai Ranges and western parts of the Coromandel Peninsula.
Several highways in the upper North Island have been closed due to flooding and high winds, including State Highway 25 between Tairua and Whitianga, and State Highway 2 north of Paeroa.
Multiple roads in the Coromandel Peninsula have also been closed due to flooding, according to the Thames-Coromandel District Council.
In a statement, Civil Defence Controller Garry Towler called for motorists to stay off the roads, noting the high volume of traffic.
"The entire Coromandel is getting battered and everyone needs to heed the warnings, stay off the roads and sit this out until tomorrow," Mr Towler said.
"It is going to get worse before things improve and high tide will undoubtedly bring more closures so let’s not put our contractors at further risk."
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