Red rain warning issued for east coast of Far North

** UPDATE – AS OF 12.30PM, THURSDAY 26 MARCH **

There are now 17 roads closed across the Far North due to flooding. The five latest roads are listed below in bold.

Road name	Type / Status	Detail
BACKRIVER ROAD, PERIA	Road closed	Flooding
DIGGERS VALLEY ROAD, HEREKINO	Road closed	Flooding
DUNCAN ROAD, KĀINGAROA	Road closed	Flooding
FAIRBURN ROAD, KAITĀIA	Road closed	Flooding
FISHER-RILEY ROAD, KĀINGAROA	Road closed	Flooding
IWITAUA ROAD, MANGAMUKA	Road closed	Flooding
KAITĀIA-AWAROA ROAD	Road closed	Flooding
KOHUMARU ROAD, MANGŌNUI	Road closed	Flooding
OMAUNU ROAD, KĀEO	Road closed	Flooding
ORURU ROAD, PERIA	Road closed	Flooding
PARANUI ROAD, TAIPĀ	Road closed	Flooding
PARAPARA-TOATOA ROAD, TAIPĀ	Road closed	Flooding
PERIA ROAD, PERIA	Road closed	Flooding
PUKEPOTO ROAD, ŌKAIHAU	Road closed	Flooding
WAIKARE ROAD, KĀRETU	Road closed	Flooding - detour in place
WELLS ROAD, KAITĀIA	Road Closed	Flooding
WHANGAPĒ ROAD, HEREKINO	Road Closed	Flooding

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** UPDATE – as of 11am, Thursday 26 March 2026 **

Heavy rain continues to fall across the Far North. Residents are urged to avoid flood waters due to possible sewage and septic tank overflows. Please avoid rivers and beaches.

High tide is due around 2pm for much of the Far North. You can check your local tidal info here - https://tides.niwa.co.nz/

Act quickly to self-evacuate if you see rising water. Be ready for power and communication outages.

Twelve local roads are closed (listed below). Driving is hazardous – only travel if necessary with the weather set to worsen this afternoon.

LOCAL ROAD CLOSURES

Road name	Type / Status	Detail
BACKRIVER ROAD, PERIA	Road closed	Flooding
DUNCAN ROAD, KĀINGAROA	Road closed	Flooding
FAIRBURN ROAD, KAITĀIA	Road closed	Flooding
FISHER-RILEY ROAD, KĀINGAROA	Road closed	Flooding
IWITAUA ROAD, MANGAMUKA	Road closed	Flooding
KAITĀIA-AWAROA ROAD	Road closed	Flooding
KOHUMARU ROAD, MANGŌNUI	Road closed	Flooding
PARANUI ROAD, TAIPĀ	Road closed	Flooding
PARAPARA-TOATOA ROAD, TAIPĀ	Road closed	Flooding
PERIA ROAD, PERIA	Road closed	Flooding
ORURU ROAD, PERIA	Road closed	Flooding
WAIKARE ROAD, KĀRETU	Road closed	Flooding - detour in place

NZTA ROAD CLOSURES

• SH1 Mangamuka – due to flooding.
• SH1 Mangamuka Gorge – as a proactive safety measure.
• SH10 Kāeo
• SH10 / SH11 Puketona – surface flooding present.

Road users should expect further closures at short notice.

POWER OUTAGES

A number of areas are without power, go to Top Energy for information on power outages.

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MetService has today upgraded its severe weather outlook to a Red Heavy Rain Warning for parts of Northland – a level only issued for the most severe weather events.

The red warning applies to areas east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei. The heavy rainfall is expected to peak from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, with the greatest risk overnight on Thursday. These areas are expected to receive thunderstorms and 270 to 320mm of rain.

The rest of Northland remains on an Orange Heavy Rain warning with rainfalls of 150 to 250mm expected.

An Orange Strong Wind Warning is also in place for Northland until 11pm, Thursday 26 March. A severe gale east to northeast wind is predicted to gust to 120km/h in exposed places.

Council teams are preparing for the effects of the severe weather. Our roading and infrastructure contractors are clearing drains and culverts in areas where flooding is a problem.

If it is safe to do so, residents are advised to clear drains and gutters, secure loose outdoor items, move valuables and vehicles away from flood‑prone areas, relocate stock from low‑lying land, and bring pets indoors.

Possible hazards from heavy rainfall include dangerous river conditions, flooding, slips, landslides, hazardous driving conditions, and road closures.

Far North residents should avoid areas of known landslides and stay away from steep slopes and water courses, especially as previous storm events may have made some sites more vulnerable to slipping.

Council teams will be on call 24/7 and will respond to hazards as soon as it is safe to do so. Updates on local road closures, slips and other impacts of the storm will be posted here and on our Facebook page as they are confirmed. Residents are encouraged to report issues to our contact centre on 0800 920 029. This operates around the clock. If you can’t get through, please leave a message with your name and contact number. We will call you back. If life or property is at immediate risk, call 111.

The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is currently on standby and will be stood up immediately when required.

MetService is indicating the severe weather warnings are expected to be expire on Friday.

Please stay up to date with the latest forecasts and information from MetService and Civil Defence Northland. Go to Top Energy for information on power outages.

For more information on how to prepare go to Civil Defence in the Far North.