13 July 2018

Waikato Regional Council is monitoring a weather system which has the potential to affect some of the region’s low-lying coastal areas on Sunday.

Regional hazards team leader Rick Liefting said better information was expected overnight and an update would be issued on Saturday.

In the meantime, he encouraged people in low-lying coastal areas, particularly in Miranda and Kaiaua, to plan for possible inundation.

“At this early stage, the weather system due to arrive in the region on Sunday is expected to produce north-easterly gales. Combined with the large king tide cycle peaking from Saturday to Monday, there is the possibility of localised inundation of low lying coastal areas, particularly at Kaiaua and Miranda, but potentially on the Coromandel’s east coast too,” he said.

“The extent and impact is currently uncertain, however, for the Kaiaua and Miranda area the impacts are likely to be less than those experienced in January.

“The east coast of the Coromandel will likely experience large waves associated with the north-easterly winds, which may cause localised inundation and/or erosion.

“Other coastal low lying areas of the Waikato region may also experience minor localised inundation, due primarily to the king tides, not storm effects,” said Mr Liefting.

“The weather system on Sunday is also predicted to include heavy rain, primarily along the Coromandel Peninsula. So there may also be river flooding impacts, especially over high tides.”

Mr Liefting said the council’s regional hazards staff and coastal scientists were monitoring the MetService forecasts and would have a better understanding of the potential effects on Saturday.

Updates would be posted on the council’s website: waikatoregion.govt.nz/flood-room.

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