After consultation with the local regional councils MetService has issued Red Warnings for Heavy Rain in Northland, Auckland north of Orewa, and the Coromandel Peninsula.

The Red Warnings have been triggered because of the likely impacts - significant flooding, slips, and further damage to roads and power networks. Previous heavy rainfall since Friday means that these regions are already saturated, still cleaning up from the last event, and are vulnerable to further heavy rain.

On Tuesday, there is the added risk of Thunderstorms for Northland, which could bring downpours. This thunderstorm risk spreads over northern Auckland from Tuesday evening and then further south into Coromandel on Wednesday.

MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris says “In consultation with Regional Councils and Civil Defence, MetService have elevated the warnings that have already been in place for these areas to Red Warnings – MetService's highest regional warning colour. This is because of the forecast intensity of the rainfall in regions that are already saturated."

“People in areas under Orange Warnings for Heavy Rain also need to remain vigilant, as significant impacts are still possible in these regions, especially if soil is saturated or infrastructure is affected already,” says Lewis.

Red Warnings are reserved for the most impactful weather events and it’s likely there will be further flooding, slips, power outages and disruptions to travel so MetService urges people to keep up to date with our forecasts and follow advice of local authorities. Advice on how to prepare can be found here: https://getready.govt.nz/en/emergency/storms/

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