Cyclone Cook weather and roading update #5 - 8pm

Metservice projection of Cyclone Cook

Civil Defence is advising against travel to the Coromandel given the severity of Cyclone Cook and its projected track to hit on or near the Coromandel later tomorrow.

Thames-Coromandel District Council Mayor, Sandra Goudie has declared a civil defence emergency for the district.

We are seriously advising people to stay away until at least Saturday and if people do decide to make the journey they must be prepared to be turned back, isolated and have their journeys severely disrupted.

No local roads are reported closed.

State Highway 25 (Thames Coast Road) at Ruamahunga Bay is closed until further notice due to more of the existing slip there coming down. NZTA is not reporting any other road closures on the Coromandel.

For all State Highway updates see www.nzta.govt.nz and follow them on Facebook.

The Ministry of Education as advised all schools and early learning centres in the Coromandel to close tomorrow.

Civil Defence welfare teams are on standby in Whitianga, Whangamata, Tairua, Pauanui, Coromandel and Thames, should they be needed.

Cyclone Cook has been reclassified as an extra-tropical low but MetService will continue to refer to it as Cyclone Cook until there are no longer any impacts expected on New Zealand, given the significance of the system.

The effects of Cyclone Cook could be significant as it is continuing to track towards New Zealand and the Coromandel, with a projected arrival tomorrow afternoon.

Heavy rain and severe wind warnings are in place for the district with 150 to 205 mm of rain forecast in the 39 hours from 9am today to midnight Thursday; and wind of up to 150kmh or more possible from Thursday afternoon with large waves of 5 metres or more.

With the forecast heavy rainfall through until Friday falling on already saturated ground, we are expecting slips, fallen trees and utility poles, closed roads, and the possibility of communities becoming temporarily isolated.

Low-lying roads in coastal areas could be particularly susceptible to flooding at high tide times, given the expected 5 metre waves Cook is bringing.

Thames

Wed 12 April - 20:22 - 3.9 m
Thurs 13 April - 07:54 - 2.8 m and 21:02 - 3.9 m
Fri 14 April - 08:35 - 2.8 m and 21:40 - 3.9 m
Sat 15 April - 09:53 - 2.8 m and 22:17 - 3.7 m

Coromandel

Wed 12 April - 20:18 - 2.8 m
Thurs 13 April - 08:31 - 2.8 m and 20:58 - 2.8 m
Fri 14 April - 09:11 - 2.8 m and 21:36 - 2.8 m
Sat 15 April - 09:49 - 2.7 m and 23:13 - 2.7 m

Whitianga

Wed 12 April - 20:19 - 2.0 m
Thurs 13 April - 08:36 - 2.0 m and 21:00 - 2.0 m
Fri 14 April - 09:16 - 2.0 m and 21:41 - 2.0 m
Sat 15 April - 09:56 - 2.0 m and 22:21 - 2.0 m

For more tide times see the MetService Website - Tide time - Coromandel Peninsula

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