Flooding in Auckland, Northland

Surface flooding on Sheehan Ave in Papakura. Photo: NZ Herald
Surface flooding on Sheehan Ave in Papakura. Photo: NZ Herald
Bad weather is causing flooding and chaos in and around South Auckland this afternoon.

It is understood authorities have received multiple reports of homes being flooded as a result of heavy rain and thunderstorm conditions.

Authorities are also at Piroa Falls, in Maungaturoto, where there are reports of at least one person being trapped in the area, due to flooding.

Fire communications shift manager Dallas Ramsay said about 5.15pm that emergency crews - including police and ambulance staff - were still on site at Piroa Falls.

"They have said [there are] two persons trapped on the other side of the swollen creek. Both are safe and well and our guys are finding options of getting them across.

"They've said they're just waiting until the water level goes down and then they'll walk them across.''


The pair were not in any danger.

Ramsay said since 3.30pm, they had received about 20 weather-related calls in the Auckland and Northland region.

"We're still getting calls in - but it's essentially blocked drains.

"A lot of it, there's not a lot we can do. It's just about getting traffic management there and council to unblock their drains.''

Northern fire communications shift manager Dallas Ramsay said they had staff at the ANZ building in Great South Road, in Manurewa, following reports of a ceiling collapse and extensive flooding at the premises.

A spokesman for ANZ said the branch was closed about 3.30pm.

"There was a roof leak - it didn't collapse - and water came in down a wall.

"Teams are working on it overnight and we hope to reopen tomorrow. No-one was hurt or put at risk."

She said there had been no reports of injuries and everyone had been evacuated from the site.

The Fire Service was called to the scene just before 4pm.

Ramsay said they had also been called to some homes, where there had been flooding.

Across the country, MetService has a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in place from Northland to Taranaki.

More than 200 lightning strikes have been recorded in the watch area in the past hour.

"The line of thunderstorms is still firing up," MetService weather adviser Tuporo Marsters said.

"It's over Auckland at the moment and looks like its moving south east towards the airport."

Clusters of thunderstorms had occurred in Warkworth and Whangarei. MetService recorded 17mm of rain at Warkworth between 1 and 2pm today.

There had also been heavy downpours in other parts of the Auckland region in the past hour, with 15mm of rain recorded at the Auckland Botanic Gardens.

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in place until 7pm today.

WeatherWatch head forecaster Philip Duncan said there had been "big intense downpours" in Auckland and almost no wind.

"It's been drizzly much of the day. It was always expected to intensify. The thunderstorms over Auckland have been isolated, but quite loud and dramatic.

"The worst has probably already happened but there's big clouds over Auckland at the moment so there could be another couple of thunderstorms in the next hour or two."

Further downpours were also likely in Auckland and other North Island areas up until about 6pm. After that, it would ease back to drizzle.

Thursday would be similar today, with mostly drizzly weather and patches of heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms, Duncan said.

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