Auckland, Northland and Coromandel hit by deluge of rain, with more thunderstorms possible
Man who rowed boat through middle of Auckland street says it's just what Kiwis do.
Auckland has been hit by a weather front that saw a Northland town receive 15 days' worth of rain overnight.
Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) received 100 callouts related to heavy rain in Auckland on Sunday a spokesperson said.
Houses, garages, and roads were flooded from Wellsford to Papakura, the spokesperson said - with East Auckland hit hardest.
Te Kouma Bay Rd in the Coromandel becomes a stone strewn set of rapids.
MetService meteorologist Claire Flynn said Auckland was under a severe thunderstorm watch till 6pm on Sunday after storms that hit Northland slowly made their way south.
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A spokesperson for FENZ said they were "hammered" with callouts from the Auckland suburbs of Pakuranga and Howick between 12pm and 2pm.
Flooding in Pakuranga, east Auckland on Sunday.
He said the weather had cleared up after 2pm.
Carolyn Tibbits was driving along Cascades Rd in the Auckland suburb of Pakuranga at 12.30pm when she turned a corner and saw traffic had ground to a halt after extensive flooding.
"We were in a four-wheel drive and there was no way we were going through there."
Flooding in Pakuranga turned streets into streams
Floodwaters on one road off Cascades Rd had risen up to window-level with cars stuck along that road.
The storm was moving down the Coromandel Peninsula with the Bay of Plenty and the Kaimai Range set to receive heavy rain throughout Sunday and into Monday as fronts move slowly southward.
Thundery downpours are possible, with the heaviest falls expected in Coromandel, west of Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty and the Kaimai Range, where a weather warning is in force.
A large influx in callouts were received by the Fire service after 10am.
The outlook in Coromandel until 9pm on Sunday is for periods of heavy rain with thunderstorms possible, accumulating to 75mm to 100mm with peak intensities of 20mm to 25mm per hour.
Bay of Plenty to the Kaimai Range can expect rain to accumulate to 90mm to 120mm, especially about the ranges until 6am on Monday.
Heavy rain is expected with thunderstorms possible with peak rain reaching 20mm to 25mm per hour.
Heavy rain and flooding hits Auckland near Pakuranga's Lloyd Elsmore Park on Saturday.
The heavy weather in Northland had caused surface flooding and large tree branches to fall across State Highway 1 near Kawakawa after 7am on Sunday, according to a police spokesperson.
He said cars could move around the fallen tree, but there was still surface flooding on SH1.
The bulk of the fire service call-outs in Auckland had been received after 10am according to a spokesperson for FENZ.
Flooding has been reported in East Auckland
An entrance to the ferry terminal at Waiheke Island has been flooded.
Ferry passengers were removing their shoes to wade through to the terminal, a witness said.
Flynn said the Northland town of Kerikeri received 92.88mm of rain in the past 24 hours, just over half its monthly total of 171mm for June of last year.
The severe weather has now hit Te Kouma Bay in the Coromandel.
Another weather station in Paihia recorded 125.5mm of rain over the same period.
"It's been raining for the past 24 hours in Northland and it's spread further south into Auckland."
Auckland was under watch for rainfall that could exceed 100mm in 24 hours and potential thunderstorms, Flynn said.
There were several reports of flooding on roads according to a spokesperson for FENZ.
"The risk is there."
A relatively immobile low-pressure system over the Tasman sea was causing a front of thunderstorms and rain to move slowly over the north end of the North Island, Flynn said.
"Because it's just sitting there for such a long period of time, that's why rainfall is accumulating."
The entrance to Waiheke Island's ferry terminal has been flooded.
Coromandel flooding
Police are warning drivers to stay off the roads as surface flooding and slips, brought by the deluge, closed several roads on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Serious flooding has closed State Highway 25 - the main route into Coromandel - at Tapu on Sunday afternoon. Thames-Coromandel District Council warned drivers to avoid the area and expect delays.
Cars stranded in the middle of the road as Studfall St in east Auckland turned into a stream.
Muddy water is pouring down Te Kowhai Drive at Te Kouma, near the town of Coromandel, and emergency services have been called to Manaia, 8 kilometres to the south of Te Kouma.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has received calls of flooding at Pollen Street, Thames.
No one has been injured as a result of any of the weather-related events, police said in a statement.
Auckland remains under a weather watch until 6pm.
"Motorists are being asked to please follow the directions of emergency services and roading contractors as some local roads are closed.
"Nonessential travel should be delayed and drivers are being urged to take extra care."
Metservice's rain radar at 8.23am Sunday showed heavy rain hitting Auckland.
Heavy rain floods Te Kowhai Drive at Te Kouma, Coromandel, while Pollen Street at Thames is also flooded.
Parts of New North Rd were flooded after heavy rains made their way over Auckland.
- Stuff
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