Thunderstorms have rolled through Northland and north Auckland, causing treacherous driving conditions and closing a road.
There was substantial rain over Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, caused by a front embedded with isolated thunderstorms, MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said.
The worst-hit areas were on the east coast, through Northland and down to Auckland’s Whangaparāoa Peninsula and the tip of the Coromandel, he said.
“Anywhere actually on the coast got a hefty dumping,” he said.
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Whangaripo Valley Road in north Auckland was closed due to flooding about 9am on Wednesday, Vivienne Jones said.
Vivienne Jones/Supplied
Whangaripo Valley Road near Wellsford was like a waterfall at 9am on Wednesday, Vivienne Jones says.
“The water was rushing across the road like a little waterfall.”
Jones decided not to brave the waters to visit her friend and said people in the valley could be stuck until the waters recede.
McInnes said some areas had close to 100mm of rain in the past 24 hours.
One spot measuring heavy rainfall was at Whangaroa, near Kaeo, where 92mm had been recorded in the last 24 hours.
The heaviest time was between 4am and 5am, when more than 20mm fell, he said.
MetService was forecasting showers for the area and finer weather on Friday and Saturday, with an earlier thunderstorm warning now being lifted.
Parts of Northland and north Auckland were also hit by a storm last Tuesday and heavy rain last Thursday.
