For a recap of 1News' live updates on the wild weather as it happened, scroll down
What you need to know:
- MetService has issued weather warnings and watches for many parts of the North Island
- Parts of Auckland and Northland have flooded
- A student is missing from a caving trip in Whangārei
8.35pm: That concludes 1News' live updates for this evening. Coverage of the weather and its impacts will continue tomorrow on 1News.co.nz.
8.33pm: Auckland remains in a State of Local Emergency tonight, Auckland Emergency Management says.
"Fire and Emergency New Zealand reported around 280 flooding-related callouts. By 6pm this evening, just five of those remained active. Police reported more than 250 weather-related jobs between midday and 4.30pm," Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Parul Sood said.
8.00pm: MetService has posted a video detailing the next movements forecast overnight and for the next few days for the band of heavy rain.
"The heavy rain band over Bay of Plenty moves off to the east overnight," the tweet reads.
"However, changeable, showery conditions are forecast for many places on Wednesday and Thursday as colder air starts moving over the country."
7.45pm: Hawke's Bay Civil Defence has issued an update on Facebook regarding the weather.
"There are currently NO severe weather warnings in place for Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke's Bay. We are expecting some rain tonight, however, this is NOT expected to reach watch or warning levels."
"We understand that many in our communities are feeling heightened anxiety in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Seeing severe weather impact other parts of the country may have many feeling anxious or scared."
The full update is available online.
7.30pm: Torrential downpours across Auckland caused people to rush to their cars and crowd into busses. Isobel Prasad reported on today's traffic chaos:
Many were sent home from education centres and workplaces which added to the gridlock. (Source: 1News)
7.10pm: MetService has detected severe thunderstorms lying over Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne.
A severe thunderstorm warning was immediately issued for these areas just before 7pm today.
"These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain."
"Very heavy rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous," MetService said.
7.05pm: Fire and Emergency NZ responded to over 300 weather-related callouts between 8am and 6pm today.
Half of the calls came between 12pm and 1pm. About 100 were classified as urgent.
"There is still more rain forecast, which may cause surface flooding to return. Please continue to avoid unnecessary travel tonight as there may still be floodwater around," FENZ's Brad Mosby said.
"It's dangerous to travel through floodwater and should never be done. It's difficult to judge the depth and currents during the daytime and impossible after dark," he said.
6.55pm: Tauranga City Council has sent out a Facebook update on Bay of Plenty roads.
⚠️FENZ is monitoring an active slip on Cambridge Rd and have closed it.
🔍We’re looking into reports of flooding on Maleme Street
⚠️State Highway 2: There is a tree blocking the highway before Youngson Road.
⚠️State Highway 29: Is closed from Kaimai Café due to a slip
👍State Highway 36 is open.
6.45pm: The search for a missing Whangārei Boys’ High School student has been suspended until the morning. Watch Helen Castles' report below:
Police have suspended the search for the Whangārei Boys’ High School student for the evening. (Source: 1News)
6.30pm: New severe thunderstorm watches have been issued by MetService.
From 6pm today, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua could see localised torrential rain in excess of 40mm/h.
The thunderstorms for these areas should ease around 9pm for Great Barrier Island and Coromandel, and around 11pm for Bay of Plenty and Rotorua.
6.05pm: A Wellsford family found themselves flooded in for the fourth time since January. Read their harrowing story here.
5.55pm: Tune in to TV1 at 6pm tonight or watch online for the latest weather updates.
5.45pm: Bay of Plenty Regional Council has given an update on its Facebook page as the bad weather continues.
"With the ground already very saturated from last week’s rainfall, and with the current and predicted weather incoming, we are already seeing river level rises and we anticipate this will continue over the next 24 hours."
Click here for its full update.
5.35pm: Still some thunderstorms on the cards, but the threat has passed for Auckland.
5.15pm: Auckland Zoo has flooded, meaning some animals have needed to be moved to safety.
5.10pm: An update from police on the Whangārei Boys' High School caving trip where one student is still missing:
"Search and Rescue, USAR, Fire and Emergency, alongside Police, have been searching for the unaccounted student this afternoon since reports were initially received around 10.26am this morning," police said in a statement this evening.
"The search will be suspended around 5pm. We can now confirm the group was made up of seventeen people in total.
"Fourteen students and two adults make up the group of those who are accounted for.
"The search is expected to resume at first light tomorrow and a cordon will remain in place this evening and overnight."
Click here for more on this developing story.
4.55pm: Good news for some and bad for others in MetService's latest weather update.
4.50pm: Reports of slips closing roads in Bay of Plenty are coming in as the weather continues to disrupt transport.
A slip is blocking SH2 south of Ōmokoroa and there are more slips on the slip-prone Karangahake Gorge.
4.45pm: Flooding in Warkworth, north of Auckland, left cars stranded and some sodden students this afternoon.
4.40pm: Some Auckland ferry updates.
4.30pm: An update from Nelson Tasman Civil Defence as the wild weather moves south.
An intense burst of rain has occurred in the hills near Belgrove.
⚠ This has caused flooding to occur in the Wai-iti River, flowing between Belgrove and Wakefield.
Residents in the area may not have noticed this rainfall in the hills.
👉 It is recommended that stock in the area are moved to high ground, if possible.
4.20pm: A list of Civil Defence shelters open for those displaced by flooding in Northland and Auckland has been updated.
Click here for a full list of Civil Defence Centres open and their locations.
4.05pm: MetService released some big rainfall totals to 1News.
Here are some 12 hour rainfall totals through until 3pm:
- 81.6mm at Whenuapai Aero
- 63.2mm Whangaparāoa
- 60.8mm Auckland airport
"Highest rainfall rates (30-49mm/hr) occurred around the middle of the day with a particularly intense convective rainband – we had a severe thunderstorm warning out for this band."
4pm: Fire and Emergency NZ have been busy in Northland and Auckland today, attending 277 weather-related callouts from 8am - 3pm.
About 100 of these were classed as urgent and the rest were classed as non-urgent.
"Please avoid unnecessary travel and don’t travel through floodwater. It’s difficult to judge the depth and currents during the daytime and impossible at night," Brad Mosby, on-call Commander for Tāmaki Makaurau says.
3.50pm: Video from earlier today shows waterfalls of rain coming down from a cliff above Auckland's famous Tamaki Drive.
The torrential rain will have caused further erosion around Auckland. (Source: Supplied)
3.40pm: Whangārei Boys' High School has released a statement as a student is still missing from a caving trip this morning.
Click here to read the full statement.
"An event occurred today that is hugely upsetting for our school," principal Karen Gilbert-Smith said.
"An Outdoor Education class attended Abbey Caves this morning on a caving trip and encountered a severe weather event.
"One of our students is currently missing after encountering the weather event. Search and Rescue are currently searching for the young person."
3.35pm: It's a good bet many people stranded in Auckland's CBD would be happy for a cup of tea right now!
3.30pm: Rain continues to fall in the Far North and has now closed part of a state highway.
3.15pm: TVNZ chief correspondent John Campbell was out visiting people flooded in Auckland's Henderson today.
John Campbell reports from Border Rd in Henderson, which is flooding once again. (Source: 1News)
They have already flooded five times this year on Border Road.
3.05pm: This should hopefully help clear out some stranded travellers.
2.55pm: After earlier urging people go home early if possible. Auckland Transport has sent out a new alert asking people wanting to travel to the North Shore from the CBD to "shelter in the city until queues ease".
2.50pm: Finally some good news for those battling traffic woes today.
2.40pm: A look at the latest rain radar over the upper north.
2.33pm: Onehunga resident Sarah McKenzie shot the video below when the rain was at its worst earlier today.
Sarah McKenzie said emergency services are in the area helping where they can. (Source: Supplied)
"I heard the rain and didn’t think much of it, then stepped outside and saw the water coming up my driveway, a car flooded on the road that had attempted to drive through and got caught… another couple of parked cars flooded," she told 1News.
"The police and firefighters have been here to try to divert traffic and advise/support members of the public. Just a shock really!
"I didn’t know how I was going to get out. It’s the first time I’ve experienced this since I’ve lived here, but apparently it’s become increasingly common over the past six months as we see the effects of climate change."
2.23pm: A reminder it's very wet north of Auckland too. This image is from State Highway 1 near Whangārei from around 1pm.
2.20pm: Auckland Transport's Stacey van der Putten said the train lines out of Britomart are currently paused.
Updates will be provided when available on AT's social channels and apps.
"Trains are currently suspended across the rail network except between Otahuhu and Papakura on the Southern Line, and between Otahuhu to Manukau on the Eastern Line," AT added in a statement.
"Buses are being severely affected by heavy traffic, especially in the City Centre. Due to traffic conditions and flooding on the North Shore our NX1, NX5, 95 and 97 services are being particularly hard hit, with very long queues at City Centre bus stops. We are encouraging passengers wanting to travel to the North Shore to shelter in the city until queues ease."
2.16pm: Fire and Emergency's Brad Mosby said the service has responded to over 200 callouts today around Auckland mostly due to flooding but also slips and fallen trees.
"We are expecting more weather-related callouts and these are being prioritised to those facing risk to life," he said.
2.10pm: MetService's Georgina Griffith's said this weather is made worse as Auckland has received 90% of its annual rainfall already in 2023. Meaning the ground was already sodden.
She said the weather is passing east and currently affecting the likes of Waiheke Island.
A severe thunderstorm watch is still in place until 7pm tonight.
"The risk going forward for us is another burst of downpour around commute time, not everyone will see the further downpours.
"We are nearly out of the woods Auckland let's get through to 7 o'clock," Griffith's said.
2.08pm: Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said she is in regular contact with Mayor Wayne Brown who is currently in Sydney on a planned trip.
She said the state of emergency declaration was a "precautionary measure to keep you safe".
Brown is due to arrive back in New Zealand tonight.
2.05pm: Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Rachel Kelleher said Auckland has seen rain rates of up to 30 to 35mm/ph and some places even more.
More rain is expected until at least 7pm tonight.
2pm: Click here to watch the latest weather update from MetService and Auckland officials.
1.58pm: Cars struggle through floodwaters on Gillies Ave on Auckland's North Shore.
Parts of Gillies Ave have flooded. (Source: Supplied)
1.50pm: Auckland Council officials and MetService will be at a media conference beginning around 2pm.
It will be broadcast on TVNZ1 and here on the website - link coming soon.
1.40pm: More severe thunderstorm warnings coming in as the rain takes a brief pause in Auckland's CBD.
1.37pm: Many people around Auckland are reporting difficulty getting about as flooding causes traffic chaos.
1.35pm: A statement from Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty.
The Government will step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland following Auckland Council declaring a local state of emergency.
“NEMA’s National Coordination Centre has been activated and the Government stands ready to provide any support that is needed,” McAnulty said.
“NEMA have been closely monitoring throughout the course of this event and keeping me up to date. This declaration gives us the ability to coordinate further resources for affected areas.
Auckland Emergency Management has opened a Civil Defence Centre to assist those that have been displaced or need assistance following today’s severe weather. The centre is open now at Te Manawa Library which is located at 11 Kohuhu Lane, Massey (Westgate).
1.30pm: Auckland University is the latest educator to cancel classes today as schools across the region shut early.
"The decision has been made to cancel all in-person classes this afternoon (Tuesday 9 May) due to the heavy rain warning," a statement from the university reads.
"Please do not come into the university until further notice.
"Anyone already on campus is encouraged to return home, if you can do so safely. If it is safer for you to remain on campus, the City Library will remain open."
1.20pm: MetService's severe thunderstorm watches continue to come in. Here is the latest.
1.14pm: The scene from Henderson, West Auckland a couple of hours ago.
The area was hard hit in the Auckland Anniversary floods. (Source: 1News)
1.06pm: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has declared a local state of emergency.
Full statement:
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has declared a State of Local Emergency for Auckland and delegated his responsibilities and powers to Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson.
“This morning, at my request, the Deputy Mayor and I received an urgent phone briefing from Auckland Emergency Management Civil Defence.
“After carefully considering the advice of the Duty Controller I have decided to declare a precautionary State of Local Emergency. The decision is based on the lessons we learnt from the Anniversary Auckland floods.
“While I am assured that emergency services are coping with the volume of call outs at the moment, and that they do not require emergency powers, I consider it is necessary to communicate to the public that this is something to take seriously.
“As I am in Sydney on Council business, I have delegated my responsibilities and powers to Desley Simpson, who is now Acting Mayor until I return,” Mayor Brown said.
At approximately 12pm, with approval of the Mayor, Auckland Emergency Management issued a region-wide emergency mobile alert.
“I am urging Aucklanders to remain calm but be vigilant. Please stay away from floodwaters and open drains. It is important that you follow the official advice of Auckland Emergency Management and Auckland Transport,” Mayor Brown said.
1.05pm: Video from the scene of the Abbey Caves rescue in Whangārei where a student on a caving trip is missing.
A school group got into difficultly at Abbey Caves. (Source: 1News)
Click here for more on that story.
12.57pm: Most of Auckland's transport services have been affected by the flooding.
The latest is the busway between Akoranga and Smales Farm which is closed due to "severe flooding"
Auckland Transport is urging people to stay home and avoid travel.
12.47pm: Video shows floodwaters racing down Auckland's Queen Street.
Rainwater could be seen pooling on parts of the CBD main street. (Source: 1News)
12.45pm: Major route up north now closed.
12.40pm: Latest update from MetService on the situation.
12.28pm: A park completely underwater in Auckland's Northcote. The last time it was like this was the Anniversary Floods.
Another park underwater on the North Shore, this one is Becroft Park.
12.24pm: It's becoming harder to travel around Auckland as State Highway 1 floods.
12.22pm: Video of a manhole cover struggling to cope in Auckland's CBD.
This video was taken at the University of Auckland’s city campus on May 9. (Source: Supplied)
12.16pm: Auckland Emergency Management has issued an emergency mobile alert.
12.06pm: Latest update from police as a student is unaccounted for at a cave system in Whangārei where students were on a trip.
"One person is unaccounted for following an incident at the Abbey Caves.
"A group of high school students have been doing an exercise at the Abbey Caves on Abbey Caves Road, Whangārei, this morning," Superintendent Tony Hill, Northland District Commander said.
"Around 10.35am it was reported the group was in difficulty. A group of people have since made it out safely, however, one student is currently unaccounted for.
"We have Police Search and Rescue and USAR crews responding to the area.
"The incident is still very much developing and we will provide further updates as they become available. Our thoughts are with the whanau of the missing child, as well as all those involved in the group outing and the school.
"Police continue to advise the public to pay close attention to weather forecasts and emergency management updates given the current weather conditions across the district."
11.57am: The latest thunderstorm warning for Auckland.
11.55am: The scene at a Devonport car park this morning on Auckland's North Shore.
11.50am: More from Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.
11.48am: The system is moving through earlier and faster than expected according to MetService.
11.37am: More updates on the rescue unfolding at Abbey Caves in Whangārei:
"Police are in attendance at an incident on Abbey Caves Road, Whangārei, where it was reported a group was in difficulty. At this stage, police are assisting where required," police said in a statement.
"At 10.41am this morning, Fire and Emergency crews were alerted to a rescue incident in Whangārei. We have three Fire and Emergency crews dispatched to the incident," FENZ said.
Concerned parents have been posting on social media as a Whangārei Boys' High School trip is reportedly taking place there this morning.
11.36am: More pics from flooding in West Auckland around the evacuated primary school.
11.33am: The Auckland Council emergency management chair told 1News an emergency phone alert will be sent out in the next 15 minutes over the floods.
11.30am: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has given an update:
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is in Sydney for a meeting with Auckland Light Rail and engineering firm Arup to explore options for Auckland.
Mayor Brown has been briefed on the developing situation in Auckland and is in regular telephone contact with Auckland Emergency Management and the Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson. If required, he will delegate powers to Deputy Mayor Simpson as necessary.
There are reports of flooding in West and North Auckland. Mayor Brown is urging residents to stay away from floodwaters and open drains, remain calm but vigilant and follow the advice of Auckland Emergency Management.
He is urging AEM and Auckland Transport to provide frequent, clear communication.
11.27am: Waka Kotahi says there are "multiple crashes" on Auckland's motorways.
"Consider delaying your journey or take extra care. Please do not drive into flooded sections of road."
11.25am: It's a similar situation in Auckland CBD right now as the rain buckets down.
11.18am: A 1News reporter driving through Wellsford, north of Auckland, says the roads are starting to flood and slips have been sighted.
11.10am: New severe thunderstorm warning for Auckland area. Looks like there will be plenty more to come unfortunately.
11.05am: Emergency services including St John and Fire and Emergency NZ are currently at a callout at Abbey Caves in Whangārei.
Locals in the area told 1News it is raining "really heavily" there right now.
Abbey Caves are described as a reserve that "features dramatic limestone outcrops, sink holes and three significant caves."
11am: Very heavy rainfall being recorded in Auckland right now.
10.50am: A school in West Auckland has asked parents to come and collect their kids as flooding hits the area:
"Kia ora whānau, Ribblesdale Road is flooding. We need to close the school.
Please come and collect your children. Thank you."
The school in question is Sunnyvale Primary School.
10.45am:
Background
The incoming storm and wild weather is "more than just a cold snap", according to MetService's John Law.
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Law said the worst of the wild weather is expected to hit the country today and tomorrow.
"Today we're looking at those parts on the northern and western parts, New Zealand's seeing some of the heaviest rainfall and in the mix is some thunderstorms as well, especially for places like Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel.
"Some really intense bursts of rainfall, some heavy bursts of rain as it comes through, we are going to find more thunderstorms as it comes through this afternoon."
Law said floods and slips are also possible due to heavy rainfall in areas that are already very damp.
"We've got really wet ground, this has been a wet story so far in May and as the rain comes in its got nowhere to go so it may well cause things like some localised flooding and it may well cause some slips, particularly in those areas that are already very vulnerable.
"If you're out and about driving in these conditions as well, especially when heavy showers and thunderstorms come through, it will make things a little bit trickier so just take that extra bit of care when you're out in that rain this afternoon."
He said it's definitely worth keeping up to date with thunderstorm warnings and watches along with the rain radars.
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