Flooded communities in Nelson Tasman have begun a massive clean up effort, as MetService warns of more rain to come later in the week.
The severe weather prompted States of Emergency to be declared for the Nelson/Tasman region, and part of Marlborough, but the rain had eased today and roads were beginning to reopen.
Some farmland in Tapawera remained submerged, and residents had been told to treat all water as contaminated.
MetService said most of the country woke to clear skies this morning following the heavy rain at the end of last week and into the weekend.
However, the forecaster said more rain was expected later this week as a front moved south-eastwards on Thursday, bringing rain and strong north-easterly winds to many regions.
“For Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, and the ranges of Gisborne/Tairawhiti and inland Wairoa District, there is moderate confidence rainfall amounts will reach warning criteria and low confidence northeast winds will reach severe gale for a time in exposed places. Thunderstorms are also possible,” it said.
“For Waikato, Waitomo, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Taihape and inland Whanganui there is mostly low confidence warnable amounts of rain will fall, and low confidence northeast winds will reach severe gale for a time in exposed places.
“However, for Taranaki Maunga there is moderate confidence a heavy rain warning will need to be issued.”
Tasman was one of the hardest hit during the weekend deluge, and MetService said there was moderate confidence that rainfall amounts could reach warning criteria.
NIWA said the best weather this week would occur on Tuesday and most of Wednesday, “but unfortunately conditions will go downhill thereafter”.
“A potent low, affecting eastern Australia, will move across the Tasman to potentially bring heavy rain to parts of New Zealand on Thursday and Friday,” it said.
Clean up begins following weekend deluge
Speaking to Breakfast, Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said it had been a “pretty horrendous 72 hours” for the community who were coming to terms with the scale of destruction.
He said bridges, roading and infrastructure were all damaged, and said flooded farms were a “huge blow” to the unique industries operating on Nelson land.
He said the community were grateful for the $100,000 which was allocated by Emergency Management Mark Mitchell from the Mayoral Relief Fund, and this money would provide emergency relief particularly to isolated regional areas.
“We’re talking months, if not years, to fully recover from this event.”
