North Island flooding: A death, a state of emergency and a heavier deluge tomorrow

⚠️ A deepening low is bringing heavy rain, strong winds & large waves, creating hazardous conditions across parts of the North Island
🌧️💨🌊@MetService has issued multiple watches & warnings, incl. Orange Heavy Rain Warnings, with Gisborne/Tairāwhiti the main concern through Mon pic.twitter.com/3MMymGdE7X

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) February 14, 2026

Ōtorohanga district was hit particularly hard by what MetService described as an “intense period” of heavy rainfall over four hours, which caused power outages and damage to homes.

Along with Waipā District, it was put into a state of emergency because of the severe weather impacts.

One man was found dead inside his car after it had been submerged in floodwaters while he was travelling on State Highway 39 in the Ōtorohanga area.

Less than a kilometre away, another motorist’s ute crashed into the ground after a highway bridge partially collapsed.

Attention is turning now to the North Island’s East Coast, which is blanketed in weather warnings and watches from MetService.

Torrential rain has devastated the Ōtorohanga district, closing roads, washing out bridges, triggering slips and floodwaters, and a man has died. Photo / Mike Scott

Meteorologist Devlin Lynden told the Herald that rainfall is likely to drench the region.

Firefighters in Wairoa are prepared to respond quickly to any water related incidents in the area, with the specialist water rescue team expected to be available for the next 48 hours.

The team has specialised equipment such as rafts and are specifically trained to deal with flood waters.

The firefighters are expecting the triple threat of heavy rain, high winds and high seas around Wairoa and have encouraged to be prepared for danger and only go outside if absolutely necessary.

This comes a month after devastating floods and landslides in the same area and the landslides in nearby Bay of Plenty that killed eight people.

“For Gisborne, Tairāwhiti, we’re expecting the rainfall through the rest of this evening and Sunday to be quite significant, likely the heaviest for those areas over the past few days,” Lynden said.

A ute crashed into where the land had given way at a bridge on State Highway 39 just south of Mangati Rd near Puketotara. Photo / Wayne Feisst

The “strongest band” of rainfall is likely to come on Sunday, Lynden said.

Gisborne, north of Tolaga Bay, has an orange heavy rain warning overnight until 9am Sunday, with up to 150mm of rain expected on top of the significant amount that has already fallen.

Heavy rain and wind warnings cover much of the North Island’s east coast for this evening and tomorrow. Photo / MetService

Gisborne, south of Poverty Bay, and Hawke’s Bay about and east of Wairoa has a heavy rain warning starting at 7am tomorrow and lasting for 22 hours.

Inland Whanganui and Manawatū, north of Marton, and Taihape have the same warning starting at 6pm Sunday.

Strong wind warnings for Wellington, and eastern Marlborough north of Clarence, Wairarapa and the Tararua District and Gisborne, south of Poverty Bay, come into force on Sunday afternoon.