Surface flooding on Jones Place in Masterton. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
The rain and wind battering Wairarapa is expected to continue until tomorrow, a Metservice Meteorologist says.
“There’s been a lot of rain, and that will continue for the next 24 hours.
“Severe rain will be over tomorrow morning, but there will still be showers – it still won’t be a nice day to head outside.”
There had also been severe gusts of wind in different areas, he said.
Castlepoint recorded winds of 137kmh this morning, Masterton Airport had gusts of 72kmh, and on the Rimutaka Hill there were gusts of up to 98kmh.
Over 2000 properties have been affected by power outages across the region, including parts of Masterton, Carterton and Martinborough.
Wild weather has caused road closures and surface flooding across Wairarapa this morning.
Severe weather watches were issued by Metservice yesterday afternoon, with snow expected to fall on the Rimutaka Hill Rd this morning coupled with gale force winds up to 140 kph.
In Masterton, Alfredton Tinui Rd is closed at the Annedale and Alfredton end.
Opaki Kaiparoro Rd is closed at Dreyers Rock Rd, and Dreyer’s Rock Rd is closed at Mauriceville and Whangaehu Valley Rd.
Waterfalls Rd is also closed.
Jones Place and Cockburn St have experienced severe surface flooding.
White Rock Rd at Tuturumuri and Ponatahi Bridge in South Wairarapa is closed due to flooding.
In Carterton Ponatahi Rd is closed at Huangarua due to flooding, with a detour available through Longbush.
Clifton Grove Rd is also closed.
There is surface flooding in the following areas: Chester Rd, Longbush Rd, throughout the Parkvale area, Kokotau by the bridge, Carter’s Line and SH2 Clareville.
There is also a tree down on Te Wharau Rd.
The Tararua District was battered overnight and this morning by a fierce wind storm and horizontal cold rain.
Over 100mm fell in rural Eketahuna, completely covering pastureland and causing creeks and rivers to rise.
Snowfall covered some arterial roads linking to SH2, making them treacherous and in some cases impassable for drivers.
Snow coated Mount Bruce and the hills east of Eketahuna.
Coastal Castlepoint is set to experience very rough seas, as Cook Strait could see swells up to seven metres throughout today.
In the low-lying areas of the region, 70mm to 100mm of rain is expected over the 24-hour period up to midnight tonight.
Its great see the plight of the residents of Jones Place get some kind of recognition but more needs to be done urgently.
Sadly this is not an unfamiliar scene and featuring in the Newspapers simply isn’t getting the issue fixed.
It would be great to see the Times Age take on the human perspective of what is going on in Jones Place, and has been for many years, and actually be a part of the solution to getting this fixed.
How about it Times Age will you put your hand up and take on this responsibility for your community?