The landslide that hit the holiday park wasn’t the only one to happen on Mount Manganui on Thursday.
Photo: DJ Mills
Rain is on the way for almost all of the North Island, including areas badly battered last month.
An orange heavy rain warning will take effect from 6pm Friday for Bay of Plenty east of Ōpōtiki, and Tai Rāwhiti north of Tolaga Bay.
Up to 100mm of rain is expected, with a chance of up to 150mm in one or two places.
Forecaster MetService said there was a low chance of it being upgraded to a red warning.
For most of the rest of the island there was a yellow heavy rain watch. It would begin in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel and Waikato at 9am, and make its way south through the middle of the day, with southern areas like Manawatū, Tararua District and Hawke’s Bay joining the watch at 3pm.
Wellington at this stage appeared to be spared.
East Coast residents were warned to expect up to 100mm or rain, with some localised areas getting up to 150mm.
“Peak rainfall rates are very dependent on localised downpours or thunderstorms, and may reach 25 to 40mm per hour during Saturday morning,” MetService warned.
There was a “low chance” the orange warning would be upgraded to red.
“Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions [are] possible.”
Tauranga City Council urged residents to evacuate immediately if the ground moved or there was another landslide.
Periods of heavy rain or showers and a chance of thunderstorms were expected in the region from noon.
The council said there was a higher chance of landslides because of the rain that had already fallen in recent weeks.
Six people died in a slip at Mt Maunganui last month, and two at a home in Welcome Bay.
There were still 40 slips on Mauao, and recent monitoring had found unstable land.
As a precaution, the council on Friday morning said it would close Adams Avenue, between Pilot Bay and the Maunganui Road roundabout, from 8am.
“This is a precautionary approach following geotechnical advice about the current risks on Mauao from anticipated rainfall from Friday to Saturday.”
No timeframe was given, the council saying it would only reopen once the rain had finished and experts had seemed it safe. The footpath on the ‘shop side’ of Adams Ave would remain open.
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