Helicopters dropping supplies to isolated families in Gisborne have been grounded as the storm which wreaked havoc in Auckland tracks down the country.
The storm brought flash flooding, hailstones and record low temperatures for February as the mercury plunged to 5C.
It was at its most destructive in Mangwhai - where slips closed roads and flooding left 200 people stranded - and in Waihi Beach where tornadoes swept in from the ocean, cutting power to 1500 people and lifting a roof off a house.
A bach owner in Waihi Beach said the formation of the tornado was one of the most amazing things he's ever seen.
Mark Wright says he stood on the dunes as two water spouts merged into a twister and headed into shore.
"I could just see debris and there was just all sorts going on in the sky, and there was just almost like an explosion of debris up in the air. There was just corrugated iron and objects and birds."
Wright said he spoke to a resident who escaped uninjured from his home after his roof was torn off.
He said he rushed to the area soon after the tornado went through and had been speaking to locals near Seaforth Road where the first part of the storm hit.
"I've seen roofs lifted off, tossed across the road - they're gone through power lines, which is why they're down. There's a little bit of shock, but they're coping and getting through."
Hawke’s Bay, still recovering from the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle last week, is under an orange heavy rain warning until 5pm today. Meanwhile, Tairawhiti Civil Defence said the weather had grounded helicopter flights.
“If you’re one of the families who has been expecting us - we’re so sorry but you are at the forefront of our minds. As soon as the weather clears, hopefully this afternoon helicopters will be back in the air delivering supplies.”
Parts of Auckland, Northland and Coromandel saw more than 100mm of rain falling in less than six hours on Friday night - the third time in a month that the regions have been impacted by severe weather, leaving residents feeling anxious.
Fire and Emergency was swamped with calls as severe thunderstorms caused chaos across parts of Auckland. Several stranded motorists were rescued by a boat after multiple cars were trapped in floodwater at Dairy Flat. Police also began evacuating households in the area, while 14 people were trapped at a flooded Silverdale school, where six children were later rescued.
About 20 students and their parents have been stranded at a school in Northland overnight as heavy rain caused flooding. Kaiwaka School principal Sharlene McCormick told the Herald this morning they were all safe but it was “horrific and terrifying” for the community to go through the weather event again.
There is no current road access between Auckland and Northland due to a slip near State Highway 1/Otiroro Rd, Topuni and multiple road closures through Mangawhai, Waka Kotahi NZTA said in a statement. State Highway 1 north of Te Hana is closed due to “multiple slips”, virtually cutting off Northland and the Far North. A section of SH16 between Kaukapakapa and Wellsford is also closed.A Northland council rain gauge just outside Mangawhai measured a record 342mm for the day, most of it after midday. Just south of Kaiwaka, more than 150mm was recorded inland of Mangawhai Heads.
One man travelling from Whangarei to Auckland got caught in Mangawhai in the intense floodwaters. “I’d been driving around for about four hours back and forth trying to find a way out but all roads are closed or washed out or blocked by slips or floods,” he said.
As he tried to navigate a route through, he came across a ute stuck in the floodwaters. “I was trying to find somewhere safe to park and came across the ute in the flood - he must have just gone in because the two guys were escaping out through the windows - a couple of guys must have been late teens or early 20s,” he said.
MetService said some sites in Auckland had seen more than 100mm of rain in six hours and mayor Wayne Brown urged residents to remain vigilant. “We want to assure Aucklanders that Auckland Emergency Management is fully operational, and emergency responders are on standby to assist people across the region,” Brown said. “Earlier this evening, two emergency mobile alerts were issued to advise our most vulnerable communities of the heightened risk of slips and flooding from thunderstorms, and I have been in contact with the councillors in those wards.”
Communities in some of the worst-hit areas from Cyclone Gabrielle braced themselves during an anxious night as authorities warned of heavy rain, localised flooding and the potential to evacuate at short notice.
Dramatic photos showed huge swathes of Mangawhai underwater last night and placid streams transformed into raging torrents.Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) warned people to remain vigilant and not wait for official instructions to evacuate if they felt their life or property was in immediate danger. “Listen to your gut instinct and go,” AEM duty controller Adam Maggs said.
AEM sent an emergency alert to residents in Hellensville, Upper Harbour, Te Atatū and Henderson Valley about 5.20pm warning of potential landslides and flash flooding. A similar alert was sent about 5.10pm for hard-hit Bethells Beach, Karekare, Muriwai and Piha.
Heavy rain, police said, had already resulted in roads being impacted by slips and flooding in Mangawhai, Mahurangi East, South Head, and Topuni last night.
A Northland council rain gauge just outside Mangawhai recorded 342mm for the day, most of it after midday, according to Hauraki Gulf Weather.
Parts of Auckland’s motorway network also began to flood yesterday, including the Northern Motorway and State Highway 18.
- Additional reporting RNZ
