Heavy rain and severe wind watch issued for the Coromandel

MetService has advised a heavy rain and severe wind watch for the Coromandel.

From this evening, 11:00pm, until approximately 5:00am tomorrow, expect a brief period of heavy rain and possible squally thunderstorms force for much of the region, but particularly the Coromandel as described by the MetService weather watch.

Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria during this time, for example 50mm in 6 hours or less and westerly winds may approach severe gales in exposed places during this time. Click here to read more.

The Waikato Regional Council flood response team have informed us they are monitoring a frontal system approaching from the Tasman Sea and moving eastward across our district during the early hours of tomorrow morning.

"Batten down the hatches until Wednesday morning as this short, sharp front coincides with the August king tides," says Garry Towler, our Civil Defence Controller. "This rainfall intensity has the potential to cause fast rising river levels, surface water issues and possibly slips."

"The Thames Coast Road could be affected in low lying spots, so if you are travelling on the West Coast of the Coromandel, take time to check in with us and NZ Transport Agency before departing," says Mr Towler.

Thames High tide information:
• Tuesday 14 August: 9:11am and 9:34pm
•
Stay up to date on the weather and road conditions:
Weather updates: MetService.
State Highways (SH25, SH25A, SH26 in the Coromandel): NZTA NZTA. You can also call NZTA on 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) for traffic and travel information. You can also use their journey-planning website www.onthemove.govt.nz to plan the best route for your journey, taking into account known issues and traffic on state highways.
Council roads: We will post regular updates on our Council's Facebook page as well as on our website and email newsletters. If you see an issue that needs attention, call us on 07 868 0200.
Local radio - Check stations and frequencies here.
Red Cross Hazards App - alerts about hazards. Download from the App Store or Google Play.
Emergency Mobile Alert - these can be sent to your mobile phone, without needing to download an app or sign up. Check if your phone is capable of receiving them, here
Waikato Regional Council has set up an online hub for rainfall and flood-related information to help people more easily keep up to date with severe weather events in the region. It can be found here.
Also follow Waikato Civil Defence on Facebook here and check out their website for updates here.
Know your neighbours - phone each other in an emergency, especially vulnerable people, to check if they're OK.
To report a power outage, contact Powerco or your provider.
For more on these channels, and other information about staying informed in emergencies, go to the Civil Defence "Never Happens" website.

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