Wayne Brown declares state of emergency, delegates his powers

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has declared a "precautionary" state of emergency in the region as heavy rain continues to thrash homes and businesses.

The mayor has also delegated his powers to his deputy, Desley Simpson, as he is currently across the ditch in Sydney for meetings on light rail.

Auckland is one of many parts of the country being hit by rain, with thunderstorms forecasted throughout the rest of the day.

"This morning, at my request, the deputy mayor and I received an urgent phone briefing from Auckland Emergency Management Civil Defence," he said in a statement.

“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."

He said emergency services were still coping with the current volume of call-outs.

“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."

News broke of the emergency declaration through a text Brown sent to RNZ at around 12.50pm. Official confirmation came from Auckland Civil Defence around 15 minutes later.

Earlier, Brown urged Aucklanders to keep away from floodwaters and to open drains.

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Brown is in Sydney for a meeting with Auckland Light Rail and an engineering firm but said he had been in regular contact with emergency management officials and the deputy mayor.

"There are reports of flooding in West and North Auckland," his office said in a statement.

"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 "urged" emergency management and Auckland Transport to provide clear and frequent communication.

In a joint statement, Auckland Council and AEM sent instructions following an emergency mobile alert sent at 12.05pm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in place for Kaipara, Auckland City, Waitakere, Rodney, and Albany.

The Orange Heavy Rain Warning is in place between midday and midnight tonight and a Severe Thunderstorm Watch covers 2pm to 10pm across the same period.

Wayne Brown said: “Auckland is experiencing widespread flooding and torrential rain. Please take care and follow advice. Visit getready.govt.nz now and make a plan for your family.”

Lesley Simpson said: "We strongly encourage people to check the AEM website and social media channels to see which civil defence centres are open."

“For those in west Auckland, Te Manawa library in Westgate will be open from 1pm today to seek shelter.

“If you need to evacuate, and it is safe to do so, bring important medications, essential items for babies and children, and warm clothing with you.”

People should also prepare for power cuts by making sure their phones are charged and they have torches ready.

Properties next to, above or below properties affected by existing landslides may be at increased risk of further landslides, said Head of Engineering Resilience, Ross Roberts.

“In many areas, cliff top properties with existing landslides may encounter further damage.

“If your house has a red “entry prohibited” placard, ensure you’re following the requirement to stay out.

“If your house has a yellow “restricted access” placard, follow the restrictions given on the placard and seriously consider avoiding any entry for the duration of the event.

“If your house is next to a property with a placard, or if you see any signs of instability, or if you are concerned about the stability of the land around your house, we recommend you are extra cautious during this likely severe weather event and you may want to consider finding alternative accommodation during heavy rain,” Roberts said.

An independent report into the Anniversary weekend floods slammed Auckland Council's emergency response to the widespread flooding, saying it wasn't prepared for the disaster which saw four people lose their lives.

Brown apologised for his handling of the response.

Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick has also been communicating about the downpour.

"Please minimise travel and ensure you have your evacuation plans ready, e te whānau. I’m in touch with frontline emergency services, have requested to the Mayor he delegate emergency powers to Dep Mayor Desley Simpson and I’ll get a briefing shortly which I’ll share info from."