Weather update - 4:30pm 3 June

Our roads have experienced some heavy rain over the past few hours, which has resulted in the following road closures:
• SH 25 Between Wade Rd and the 309 Rd, Whitianga
• SH 25 Near to The 309 Road, Preece Point
Due to a flooded river these roads are closed until further notice. Follow the direction of emergency services and motorists are advised to delay their journey or avoid the area.
Caution is in place for the following areas:
• SH 25 between Victoria st (Thames) and 309 Road (Manaia), Tapu - Road is now open. Motorists are advised to take extra care as although flooding is receding there is debris on the road.
• SH 25A between SH26 Kopu and SH25 Hikuai - The road is now open however motorists are advised to take extra care on this section of State Highway due to rock falls.
Civil Defence advise the heavy band of rain is expected to pass within the next hour, however if you see a Council road that is impassable please call us on 07 868 0200.

NZTA have the latest information about road closures and issues on our State Highways (eg, the Thames Coast Road, Kopu-Hikuai Road). You can also call NZTA on 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) who can also provide 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.

It's also important to stay informed before, during and after emergencies. The more avenues of communication available to you, the better.

Here are some more we recommend:
Check MetService for the latest weather forecasts on this weather system.
Red Cross Hazards App - alerts about hazards. Download from the App Store or Google Play.
Local radio - Check stations and frequencies here.

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

Know your neighbours - phone each other, especially vulnerable people, to check if they're OK.

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.

We will post regular updates on our Council's Facebook page as well as on our website and email newsletters.

Also follow Waikato Civil Defence on Facebook here and check out their website for updates here.

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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