Flooding, slips cut link between Wellington and Kapiti Coast.Source: nzherald.co.nz
* SH1 closed due to slip between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki
* Paekakariki Hill Rd closed due to slip
* All Tranz Metro services north of Plimmerton suspended, with no bus replacements
* While Akatarawa Road between Upper Hutt and Waikanae appeared to be passable, it was not recommended as a detour route, NZTA said
* Paraparaumu College, Kapiti College, Raumati Beach School and Pukerua Bay School reportedly closed for day
* At least 15 homes flooded in Paraparaumu
* Metservice said 60mm of rain had fallen in Kapiti from midnight to 6am on Thursday, with heavy rain warnings issued for the lower North and upper South Islands
Our own Kapiti Aero Weather station is reporting 70.3mm rainfall from midnight last to the timne of writing this 9.30am.
http://www.kelsonweather.com/index.htm
Source: stuff.co.nz
Police hoped to clear the northbound lane by late Thursday morning.
Trucks had been stranded along the highway between Pukerua Bay and Parkakariki.
The slip was caused by torrential rain flooding a creek nearby, which gushed off the hills beside the highway and rail tracks, bringing down shingle and debris.
Flood waters also covered large sections of the highway's southbound lane in the area.
Heavy rain continued unabated as contractors began to clear the slip about 9am on Thursday.
Warning:The wild weather was being caused by a number of fronts moving up the country, MetService meteorologist Emma Blades said.
"There's periods of rain and then it clears slightly and then another period of rain so it's looking quite showery over the next few days for much of the country.
The heaviest falls were expected around Mt Taranaki and the ranges near Wellington and the eastern Bay of Plenty where up to 150mm of rain could accumulate.
There has already been 40mm of rain within the last two hours in Paraparaumu alone, she said.
There was also a chance of early evening thunderstorms for the areas and severe gales in Wellington, Taranaki, Wanganui and Taihape.
Parts of the upper South Island, including the Nelson ranges and Malborough Sounds, could also experience some heavy rain, Ms Blades said.
Source: metservice.com
MetService forecaster Stephen Glassey said another intense rain front was expected today to replace the heavy rain band that stalled above Kapiti overnight.
* At Paraparaumu Airport 87.6mm of rain fell between midnight and 9am
* The highest dump over an hour in Kapiti was 21.2mm between 4am and 5am
* A heavy rain warning is in place for Kapiti, the Tararua Ranges and Horowhenua south of Foxton
* The rain could be as intense as overnight with between 60mm and 90mm expected today in Kapiti and 90mm to 120mm in the Tararua Ranges
* Wellington and Hutt Valley are on a heavy rain watch but it is not expected to reach warning levels
* Between midnight and 9am 23mm fell at Lower Hutt and 37mm fell at Upper Hutt
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October 14, 2013, 01:22:32 PM