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Weather: Heavy rain warnings, thunderstorms, snow, wind forecast
Power is out to 100 homes in Whitianga, a tree is blocking State Highway 25, and there is minor flooding and debris on other roads in the Coromandel area following heavy rain overnight.
Thames-Coromandel District Council said 100mm of rain fell across the peninsula overnight, and it was still raining at 7am.
“High tide is at 8.30am this morning, meaning that all streams and rivers are running high until later in the morning.
“Take extreme care if travelling or walking the dog this morning,” the council advised.
Have you been affected by the weather? Share your stories and pictures with us at iwtiness@rnz.co.nz
About 100 homes in Whitianga were without power on Thursday morning, with reports of surface flooding and debris on roads in the area, a tree was blocking SH25 at Kūaotunu.
It said, PowerCo was working to restore power.
After a night of heavy rain in much of the country, Thursday was promising another day of severe weather with thunderstorms, wind and snow forecast.
Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty had the worst of the weather overnight, MetService Duty forecaster Heath Gullery said.
Taranki had 100-150mm of rain while Tasman had up to 250mm in some areas.
MetService’s rain radar showed the rain band moving across the upper North Island and the centre of the country early Thursday morning.
MetService meteorologist John Law told Morning Report the “band of rain” was likely to be stuck over the country for a few days.
The wet weather was taking it’s time moving on from Coromandel and Bay of Plenty but in general things would clear up in the North Island during Thursday, he said.
However things would ramp up in the southeast of the South Island, Law said.
“It’s an incredibly wet situation down across the likes of Otago.”
But he said there were “plenty of severe weather watches and warnings” nationwide.
And it was likely to remain wet over the weekend, Law said Northland, Auckland, and Waikato should expect more showers then.
In the afternoon, up to two months’ worth of rainfall could hit in parts of the South Island, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) said .
NIWA forecaster Seth Carrier said Thursday would see “a plume of moisture coming down from the north”, carrying heavy rain that could impact the Bay of Plenty and East Cape, before the heavier rain crops up in the South Island.
The MetService has issued a swath of warnings and watches.
Photo: Metservice/screenshot
Northland, Waikato and Waitomo, Southland were under yellow heavy rain watches
Orange heavy rain warnings were in place for Coromandel Peninsula, Mount Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, North Otago, Dunedin and Clutha.
A severe thunderstorm watch runs until 11am for Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, and Gisborne.
A strong wind watch was in place for Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, and northern Tairawhiti.
There was a road snowfall warning for Lindis Pass (SH8) and Crown Range Road.
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The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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