Read 1News' live updates from Tuesday as strong winds and heavy rain hit much of Aotearoa as a low pressure system moved down the country.
What you need to know
- The severe weather may be moving fast but it is packing a punch, MetService says
- More than 40 weather warnings and watches are in place for heavy rain, severe gales and snow into Wednesday at the latest
- A number of state highways and roads around the country are affected by slips, fallen trees, flooding and snow
Live updates
6.30pm - We are wrapping up our live updates for today. Thank you for reading and stay safe tonight.
5.50pm - SH15 Kaikohe to Maungatapere has now reopened after floodwaters receded.
Meanwhile, crews continue to clear the SH1 slip near Puhoi. The road remains closed and won't reopen until later tonight.
Traffic is backed up as crews attempt to clear the road. (Source: 1News)
SH2 Remutaka Hill will be closed between 10pm and 4am tonight for storm recovery and slip clearing.
5pm - A video sent in to 1News shows Paeroa's Historical Maritime Museum and Park completely flooded, after hours of heavy rain hit the region today.
Meanwhile, SH1 between Perry Rd and Rangiahua Rd in Horeke is now open as flooding has receded.
4.25pm - Motorists crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge should expect delays this evening, with winds beginning to pick up. Speed limits are in place.
In the Waikato, SH25 Hikuai to Tairua has been reopened. However, the road between Wharekaho and Kūaotunu will remain closed overnight.
4.20pm - Heavy rain continues to batter Gisborne and the Tairāwhiti region, with another 80-100mm expected in the next four hours.
Gisborne District Council's Civil Defence and Emergency Manager Ben Green told 1News road damage and surface flooding had been seen north of Tolaga Bay.
Further south in Hawke's Bay, the rain is expected to stop at 6pm.
Hawke's Bay District Council principal engineer Craig Goodier said the rivers had risen but were not close to reaching alert levels.
"This rain event had had more impact in the rest of the country," he said.
4pm - NZTA say the large slip on SH1 near Puhoi, north of Auckland, is now mostly clear, but the road is unlikely to open until later tonight.
3.55pm - Campers at Lake Tekapo have had some fun building a snowman this afternoon after heavy snow blanketed the area.
Just down the road at Lake Ohau the snow continues to fall, while a dog has no complaints about having some fun.
3.30pm - Paierau Rd in Masterton has been closed due to surface flooding as the Waipoua River continues to rise, the Masterton District Council says.
3.25pm - SH53 Waihenga Bridge in Featherston, north of Wellington, has been closed due to flooding, shutting the route from Featherston to Martinborough.
3.10pm - SH15 Kaikohe to Maungatapere has been closed in both directions between Pakitai and Parakao due to flooding. NZTA recommends detours on SH14 via Maungatapere and SH1 via Whangārei.
2.55pm - SH10 in Northland's Kaeo has now been reopened as flooding has receded. NZTA ask motorists to drive with caution through the area.
2.40pm - Heavy rain in Masterton has seen the Waipoua River swell and threaten to breach its banks. Trees and other debris were swept down the river.
Masterton local Siné Goldfinch shot the video above and told 1News it was the highest she'd seen the river in 15 years.
1.59pm - The NZTA is advising of further state highway closures in both the North and South islands.
It says it's hoped one lane on SH1 Puhoi in Auckland will be able to reopen later this afternoon as the slip is cleared.
In Northland, SH11 Kawakawa to Paihia has been affected by flooding.
In Waikato, SH25 Hikuai to Tairua has been closed due to flooding.
In the South Island, flooding has closed SH1 Seddon to Kaikōura, while snow has seen SH79 in Fairlie from Gudex Rd to the SH8 intersection close. Lindis Pass and Burkes Pass have both been closed due to snow, while SH73 Springfield to Castle Hill towards Arthur's Pass has also been closed.
READ MORE: Green turns into island on flooded Coromandel golf course
1.45pm - It doesn't look like anyone will be playing any rounds of golf in Whangamatā on Tuesday.
Part of the local golf club's Titoki course has been swamped by rain, footage shows.
Drone footage taken by Jason Berry captured the scale of rain which has fallen in the area. (Source: Supplied)
1.38pm - The wild weather around the country isn't deterring children from having fun in the school holidays.
In Auckland's Kaukapakapa, Nicola Towersey sent in photos of Hannah and James making the most of the bad weather, going for a paddle in a flooded paddock.
In Wellington, children from Innermost Gardens were building huts from a fallen tree, despite the mud and rain.
1.17pm - Parts of the South Island look to be a winter wonderland, although the snow has seen a number of state highways closed.
1News reporter Maddy Lloyd has sent in these photos from the road.
1News has also been sent in a photo from a snow-covered Twizel front yard.
1.03pm - People in Blenheim and Seddon are being asked not to flush their toilets. Marlborough District Council said thanks to heavy rainfall, the sewerage systems are at "full capacity".
Meanwhile, sewer systems in Picton, Renwick and Havelock are "coping well".
Roads across the district are closed, due to slips and flooding.
12.35pm - Returning to snow and skifields, Cardrona is closed. Mount Hutt is also closed due to strong winds and heavy snow.
It was near white-out conditions in Omarama. (Source: 1News)
Treble Cone, Coronet and The Remarkables are all open.
11.49am - More state highways around the country are being affected by the weather.
SH1 Blenheim to Seddon in Marlborough is closed due to flooding and the same goes for SH63 St Arnaud to Renwick in Tasman. SH10 in Northland's Kaeo is also closed thanks to flooding.
Meanwhile, SH8 is now closed from Twizel to Fairlie due to snow.
11.42am - In the Manawatū, Horizons Regional Council says river levels are being monitored.
"At this stage we are still anticipating a floodgate opening for Moutoa on the Manawatū River between Shannon and Foxton around midnight tonight. Farmers who lease the Moutoa spillway have been contacted and gate crews are on standby," Horizons controller Craig Grant said.
"Operation of the Makino Stream floodgates near Feilding is looking less likely now. However, we will be watching this closely this afternoon when the rain is forecasted to arrive as localised rainfall can impact the stream quickly."
Grant remarked that it looks like the Manawatū catchment will be most impacted by the rain, with soils saturated and rivers, streams and drains "already pretty full".
11.35am - Returning to electricity, properties in Plimmerton, Pukerua Bay, Titahi Bay, Whitemans Valley and Blue Mountains have lost power.
Whitemans Valley and Blue Mountains appear to be the worst affected, with more than 127 customers without power.
1News’ Digby Werthmuller has this update at midday on Tuesday, July 12. (Source: 1News)
11.24am - Police say three trampers who got stuck due to a fast-moving river near the base of the Tuahu track in the Manawaru area, Waikato, have been rescued.
Police said the trampers were extracted by helicopter and are currently undergoing a medical assessment.
Police were notified the trampers were in trouble at around 9.20am.
READ MORE: Photo gallery: Slips, snow and flying trampoline as storm hits
11.14am - Returning to the slip in Auckland's Puhoi, the NZTA says motorists should delay their journeys or detour via SH16.
The state highway between Orewa and Warkworth north of Auckland was forced to close. (Source: Supplied)
It described traffic in the area as "very heavy" and said those using SH1 should exit at Silverdale or earlier.
"The closure will remain in place until crews are able to clear the slip."
11am - On the electricity front, Buller Electricity Ltd says the district is without power except for Karamea, which remains on generators.
Buller Electricity said the power was turned off for safety reasons due to the number of lines down. This has seen around 4500 customers without power.
The majority of customers can expect their power to be back on this afternoon, while the rest won't get it back until tomorrow.
In Auckland, Vector says strong wind gusts early this morning caused a small number of localised power outages.
10.52am - Meanwhile in Nelson, crews are working to remove a large fallen tree from Hill St, which has forced the road to close. It also brought down powerlines.
Crews around the country have been busy. (Source: 1News)
A trampoline was also blown over a fence in Richmond. When 1News arrived a neighbour was trying to hold it down while another tied it to the fence.
1News reporter Jessica Roden had to be pitch in to help make sure it didn't blow away completely.
10.45am - Waka Kotahi NZTA says SH80 Aoraki Mt Cook Highway is now closed due to heavy snow.
Meanwhile, SH67 Granity to Mokihinui and SH6 Ross to Franz Josef are closed due to downed power lines.
There appears to be too much snow for the ski fields, with Roundhill Ski Area in Tekapo closed. They say they could get 30-100cm. All of their webcams are a total whiteout too.
10.28am - Truck driver Gary Vaughan has told 1News he was heading south to Kaukapakapa's Flat Top Quarry when he "ran into" in the Puhoi slip.
It was spreading across the road and he said he couldn't stop in the rain. With nowhere to turn around, Vaughan said he's waiting for trucks behind him to back up to see if he can turn around somewhere.
Mau Bason, who works for Wharehine Contractors Ltd, reckons it will take around five hours - or more - to clear the slip.
"It looks like the ground is still falling and a big tree is still holding it up with a power pole on top. If rains carry on it might get worse."
9.51am - Some info from MetService on what Wellington has seen so far: In the 12 hours to 8am there's been around 15-30mm of rain.
In terms of winds, a station in Lower Hutt reached 85km/h around 6am, while a station in the city's port reached 110km/h at 7am.
9.36am - Here is an update on the public transport situation in Auckland and Wellington: In Auckland, a number of bus services have been affected on the Hibiscus Coast due to a fallen tree on Whangaparaoa Rd.
A number of ferries in the city have been cancelled due to the weather. They include Gulf Harbour, Pine Harbour and West Harbour ferry services. There are bus service replacements.
In Welllington, trains on the Johnsonville Line have been suspended between the city and Ngaio due to a slip on the tracks. Buses are running between Wellington and Ngaio instead, while trains are shuttling between Ngaio and Johnsonville.
The vessel became unsecured amid heavy rain and wind lashing the area. (Source: Supplied)
9.21am - Heavy rain and strong winds in Auckland have driven a yacht up onto rocks on Tamaki Drive.
9.14am - Snow is already falling around inland areas of the South Island. Here's a photo 1News has been sent from the Upper Rakaia Gorge.
9am - Here is a summary of the latest weather affected state highways: Strong wind warnings are in place for part of the Desert Rd; SH6 Hokitika to Fox Glacier; SH6 Fox Glacier to Haast; SH6 Westport to Hokitika; SH67 Westport to Mokihinui; and SH7 Hanmer turnoff to Springs Junction.
SH73 Springfield to Castle Hill has been closed due to snow, while SH25 north of Whitianga has been closed due to a large slip.
SH1 is now closed between Orewa and Warkworth due to a large slip and fallen trees.
8.30am - Some parts of Northland have had up to 100mm of rain in the 24 hours to 7.30am. There was surface flooding in Kaeo.
READ MORE: 'Packs a punch' - Gales, heavy rain to pummel NZ over 48 hours
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said part of SH1 had been closed in Horeke on the Hokianga Harbour in Northland.
1News reporter Helen Castles has this update early on the July 12. (Source: 1News)
A person was taken to hospital with moderate injuries after a tree fell on a truck on Takahue Road, Kaitaia. The road is now open.
In Auckland the Harbour Bridge remains open but Waka Kotahi NZTA is warning of strong winds until 9am on Tuesday. They advise motorists to consider using an alternative route.
Waka Kotahi said in an update at 8.25am that State Highway 1 between Orewa and Puhoi, north of Auckland, will be closed due to fallen trees and a slip. Travellers are urged to avoid the area or be prepared to detour via SH16.
In the South Island, SH8 Fairlie to Lake Tekapo is closed due to snow and ice.
7am - Here is a recap of the weather warnings and watches in place around the country: An orange heavy rain warning is in place for Coromandel Peninsula; Bay of Plenty including Rotorua; Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay; Taupō and Taihape; Mount Taranaki; Tasman; Tararua Range; Marlborough including Kaikōura Coast; Canterbury excluding Christchurch and Banks Peninsula; North Otago and Dunedin; Christchurch including Banks Peninsula.
Up to 100mm is expected to accumulate in some of these places.
More than 40 weather warnings and watches have been issued by MetService. (Source: 1News)
A heavy rain watch is in place for Gisborne; Hawke's Bay; Tararua District and parts of Wairarapa; coastal Clutha; Waikato.
An orange strong wind warning is in place for parts of Tasman, Buller and parts of Westland.
Gales up to 130km/h can be expected in exposed places.
Meanwhile, a strong wind watch is in place for Coromandel Peninsula; Waikato; Waitomo; Taumarunui; Taranaki; Bay of Plenty; Rotorua; Taupō; Taihape; Whanganui; Manawatū; Kāpiti-Horowhenua; Wellington; Marlborough Sounds; parts of Hawke's Bay; Wairarapa; Tararua District; parts of Tasman; parts of Westland; and Christchurch including Banks Peninsula.
In Auckland the Harbour Bridge remains open but Waka Kotahi NZTA is warning of strong winds until 9am on Tuesday. They advise motorists to consider using an alternative route.
An orange heavy snow warning is in place for parts of the Canterbury high country, while a heavy snow watch is in place for North and Central Otago, Queenstown Lakes, and inland parts of Clutha, Southland and parts of Fiordland.
MetService said snow down to 400m in Canterbury and 500m in Otago is expected to fall.
Warning amounts are also expected about and above 500m over inland Canterbury, south of Waimakariri River.
Warning amounts are also possible above 600m in the remainder of inland Canterbury and inland Otago.
A number of road snowfall warnings are also in place.
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