Weather conditions have intensified rapidly across the Northland coast this evening, with severe thunderstorms now embedded within an active red heavy rain warning during Bay of Islands Sailing Week.
At 8.00pm, MetService issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Far North and Whangārei districts. Radar detected severe thunderstorms near Matauri Bay and Wainui at 7.52pm, moving southeast. The system was forecast to pass near Kawakawa, Tōwai, Whangaruru, Ōpua, and Waihaha around 8.22pm, before reaching Whangārei, Ngunguru, Matapōuri, Pātaua, and Taiharuru later in the evening.
These thunderstorms are accompanied by torrential rain, with peak localised rainfall rates of 25 to 40mm per hour. A red Heavy Rain Warning remains in force for Northland between 8.00pm and 11.00pm, with a further 30 to 50mm expected on top of already significant accumulation.
Part of the Boating New Zealand team is in Paihia for BOISW and can confirm extremely heavy rainfall is ongoing, with surface water building quickly. Moreover, the winds are now returning with quite some force – this was forecast and is expected to gust to 35 knots tonight.
The National Emergency Management Agency advises people to take shelter indoors, avoid travel, return to land if on the water, and be prepared to self-evacuate if floodwaters rise. Flash flooding, slips, power outages, and hazardous driving conditions are all possible this evening.
