Flood-hit Nelson-Tasman braces for next big storm

The low pressure system currently causing havoc in New South Wales is set to cross the Tasman and affect large parts of the North Island on Thursday, Niwa says.

The already drenched top of the South Island is also in for more bad weather with MetService upgrading its watches to an orange warning on Wednesday morning.

Tasman and Nelson Districts about and southeast of Motueka, also Marlborough north of the Wairau River might receive 80 to 110mm of rain about the Sounds and ranges, and 50 to 80mm elsewhere from 6am through to 9pm.

The rain will arrive earlier from 3am for Tasman west of Motueka, MetService says. Up to 200mm could fall in some areas, including the coast, it says.

MetService has also issued four orange heavy rain warnings plus other rain and wind watches that affect the bulk of the North Island.

The first one applies to the area west of Whakatāne from 10am tomorrow through until 3am on Friday.

Severe Weather Update ⛈️❄️

Another burst of heavy rain for the upper South Island after the recent deluge.

North Island sees risk of downpours + strong winds in the north.

Deep South lined up for more snow.

All details at https://t.co/HZ2TSD5rV7 pic.twitter.com/FwqFowxOY2

— MetService (@MetService) July 1, 2025

As much as 120mm of rain could fall, especially inland.

In the area east of Whakatāne up to 130mm is expected in the 22 hours from noon tomorrow while as much as 150mm to 200mm could fall in the ranges.

There's also a a new orange warning for Tai Rāwhiti/Gisborne north of Ruatoria which might receive 150mm to 200mm in the ranges, and less on the coast. It will start around 4pm tomorrow going through until noon on Friday.

Heavy rain watches are in place for Northland (from 3am to 8pm tomorrow) and Auckland (9am to 9pm), and in Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula (9am-11pm).

Northland's rain may also be accompanied by thunderstorms.

The entire upper North Island is also warned to expect strong winds with watches in place.

Taranaki and the central North Island will not escape the storm either.

An orange warning forecasts heavy rain for the ranges from 11am-7pm. The Tongariro National Park is also in the firing line all day with up to 130mm forecast.

Meanwhile, people in Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taupō and North Taranaki should also be prepared for rain over the 12 hours from noon.

Snow might affect the South island too with a heavy snow watch issued for Canterbury south of the Rangitata River, Queenstown Lakes District and Central Otago tomorrow.

It could be heavy above 600 metres.

State Highway 8 (the Lindis Pass) is also under a snowfall warning, with up to 20cm expected around the summit.

Snow could fall on the Crown Range Road near Queenstown also.

The unsettled weather is expected to hang around until Saturday.

Flood-hit regions prepare for 'worst-case scenario'

Civil Defence in the Nelson-Tasman region is racing to prepare for another big storm, which is expected to hit on Thursday morning.

The district is still dealing with a huge clean up after last week's heavy rain, which caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding hundreds of homes, closing roads, and destroying farmland.

Tasman mayor Tim King said there was a massive amount of work to be done in very little time.

"There's every effort being made both to give people enough information to make their own decisions about whether they might want to evacuate.

"And physical work in the rivers, on the roads, around bridges - to as best as possible prepare for the worst-case scenario."

He urged residents - particularly those who have been hit by flooding - to do whatever was necessary to limit potential damage.

"If you're in an area that's subject to flooding or the impacts of heavy rain, if you're in any of those situations, preparation is crucially important, having a plan is important.

"If sandbagging is something that you believe you need to do then get on to it."

King said more rain on top of what they'd already had would be "challenging".

"The level of destruction in a lot of the rural parts of our region is absolutely immense.

"The stress amongst people trying to firstly to clean up and deal with what they already have to deal with, plus the thought of more rain, has a massive impact."

King said reinforcements from the army and Fire and Emergency were being deployed to communities at risk of being cut off, and expressed frustration that some areas were still without internet or phone coverage.

"It is massively frustrating that we are five days into an event and still there are areas - not highly isolated areas - but areas very close to our urban centres that have no reliable coverage.

"Which makes it very difficult to get information out to people and for people to provide us with information."

He said he wanted to see an urgent fix, especially ahead of Thursday's forecast storm.

A resident in Wakefield who lost internet and mobile phone reception said the lack of communication meant she had no idea a state of emergency had been declared in Nelson-Tasman.

Sarah Farmer said the storm knocked out coverage in her area and she left the house on Friday morning unaware of how severe it was.

"We were on the road packed up going to school, and it wasn't till we got round the corner and saw all the floods, and we're like, 'we can't even cross this road'.

"Turned around... and I just thought this is just adding so much risk, people are going out on the roads with no idea of how serious it is."

Farmer said a Starlink set up by a local meal delivery charity - The Big Bake-Up - had helped restore communication to some people.

The Big Bake-Up founder Melissa Woodhouse said the group immediately swung into action on Friday.

She said in addition to the Starlink, they had been dropping home-cooked meals and baking - including bacon and egg pies and scones with cream and jam - to flood-hit homes.

She said many of those people were still reeling from the damage caused by floodwaters.

"Most of the people we've spoken to are just quite upset and anxious about the weather. I guess we'll never know who and where it's going to hit, so just that not knowing..."

Woodhouse said residents were tossing up how much to clean up ahead of Thursday's forecast heavy rain.

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