A large part of New Zealand faced dangerous weather on 26 March, with heavy rain and strong winds affecting Northland, Auckland and many other regions. Northland, east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei, was placed under a red heavy rain warning, and people were told there was a threat to life because rivers were rising. States of Emergency were declared in the Far North District and Whangārei District for seven days because of the severe weather. Many other places, including parts of Auckland, the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Tasman, North Otago and Canterbury, were under orange heavy rain warnings. Orange strong wind warnings were also in place for areas such as Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Northland, Waikato and parts of Taranaki.
In Auckland, wet and windy weather during the afternoon was expected to make school pick-ups and the evening journey home more difficult. Auckland Transport warned that roads could be less safe and some public transport services might be affected. Drivers were told to take extra care, allow more time for trips and check travel updates before leaving. People were also advised to avoid travelling if the weather became worse.
High winds were expected to cause problems on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Transport officials said some lanes might need to close, and the bridge could even shut completely for short periods to keep people safe. Drivers of high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists were told to avoid the bridge and use another route instead.
In Northland, flooding was already causing serious trouble in some places. The Whirinaki River burst its banks during high tide, and water up to a metre deep covered parts of the road through the village. Local resident Lucy Bullock said the river was still rising and described the fast-moving floodwater as frightening and very dangerous. Later in the afternoon, all of Auckland was upgraded to an orange heavy rain warning as the storm continued to move south.
