Flood Room

Flood Room is activated

Updated at 9.15pm on Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Situation

MetService has issued multiple severe weather watches and warnings across the Waikato region covering Thursday and Friday this week. Heavy Rain Warnings – Orange – have been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula, Hunua Range and Bay of Plenty (which includes eastern catchments of the Waikato region). There is a high chance of being upgraded to an extreme Red Warning for Coromandel and Bay of Plenty. A Heavy rain Watch covers the remainder of the Waikato region with a moderate chance of upgrading to a warning.

In addition, Strong Wind Watches – Yellow – have been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato and Taupō districts, with moderate chances of being upgraded to Orange warnings.

This event has the potential to cause significant impacts across affected areas – particularly on Friday – and catchments in the Coromandel, Hauraki, Waipā and Ōtorohanga areas remain vulnerable following significant weather events in January and February. Of concern is the likely increased susceptibility of landslips and ‘flash’ flooding.

Please note that currently MetService has not issued any heavy rain alerts for the wider region, however, there may be localised heavy rain events over Thursday and Friday – please keep up to date with MetService forecasts as we expect further updates throughout today, tomorrow and Friday.

There are simple preparedness steps you can take now.

• Download the MetService App to your phone to receive weather alerts for your area. 
• Add links to your local council and civil defence emergency management websites and follow their social media profiles.
• Check drains and gutters around your property to ensure water can flow freely.
• Secure outdoor items that could blow away or block drainage channels.
• Review your household emergency plan, including how you will stay informed if conditions change. 

If an event does occur:

• Avoid driving through floodwaters and plan alternative routes if you live in a flood‑prone area.
• Contact local civil defence (or your council) if you observe any evidence of a landslip or flood impacts.
• Contact 111 if you are in immediate danger.

Our Regional Flood Response team continues to monitor forecasts closely and flood and drainage infrastructure - even when Flood Room is Deactivated - and will provide updates if the risk of heavy rain and flooding increases for the Waikato region. We also continue to liaise closely with civil defence, local councils and other agencies.

Visit our Environmental Data Hub for the latest river level and rainfall accumulations.

MetService forecast

Changes to the weather can occur quickly, so please keep up to date with the latest forecasts. For national severe weather information, MetService is New Zealand’s only authorised provider of Severe Weather Alerts. Download the MetService App to your phone to receive weather alerts and access rain radar information for your area.

Heavy Rain Warning - Coromandel Peninsula

Period: 36 hours from 6am Thursday, 26 March - 6pm Friday, 27 March
Forecast: Expect 150 to 200mm of rain, but up to 280mm possible about the Coromandel Range. Peak rates of 15 to 25mm/h, but 25 to 35mm/h possible about the ranges from Thursday afternoon through to Friday morning. High chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Dangerous river conditions, flooding, and slips likely. Dangerous driving conditions and road closures are expected.
Action: Do not enter floodwaters and avoid unnecessary travel. Be ready for communication and power outages. Be prepared to self-evacuate if you see rising water. Preparedness advice.

Heavy Rain Warning - Bay of Plenty west of Whakatane (includes the eastern catchments of the Waikato region)

Period: 42 hours from 9am Thursday, 26 March - 3am Saturday, 28 March
Forecast: Expect 200 to 250 mm of rain. Peaks rates of 15 to 20 mm/h, but 25 to 30 mm/h from early Friday morning. High chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Dangerous river conditions, flooding, and slips likely. Dangerous driving conditions and road closures are expected.
Action: Do not enter floodwaters and avoid unnecessary travel. Be ready for communication and power outages. Be prepared to self-evacuate if you see rising water.

Heavy Rain Warning - Hunua Range

Period: 33 hours from 3am Thursday to 12pm Friday
Forecast: Expect 125 to 175 mm of rain. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h, increasing to 20 to 25 mm/h from Thursday afternoon. Low chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.
Action: Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.

Heavy Rain Watch - Waikato and Taupō 

Period: 34 hours from 8am Thursday to 6pm Friday
Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Amounts may approach warning criteria, especially in localised areas. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.

Strong Wind Watch – Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato

Period: 23 hours from 9am Thursday, 26 March - 8am Friday, 27 March
Forecast: East to northeast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.

Strong Wind Watch – Taupō, Taumarunui, Taihape, Whanganui, South Taranaki

Period: 24 hours from noon Thursday, 26 March - noon Friday, 27 March
Forecast: North to northeast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.

Thunderstorms

There are currently no thunderstorm watches or warnings but this system is expected to have a convective component (particularly on Friday) which may lead to thunderstorm activity. There is a possibility severe thunderstorm watches or warnings may be issued by MetService at short notice so please be alert for and act on these without hesitation – do not wait for further analysis by Waikato Regional Council. For information on preparing for and keeping safe during a storm, see the National Emergency Management Agency's Get Ready website.

Likely/potential Impacts

Rivers and lakes

Based on the current forecast information, potential exists for significant impacts across the region including widespread flooding in flood prone areas. The Coromandel Peninsula, Hauraki, Waipā and Ōtorohanga will be particularly at risk of localised flooding. Be alert for rising river levels and do not wait for flood warnings to take action. Contact 111 if you are in immediate danger. 

Wind

Areas west of the Kaimai Range are forecast to be impacted by gale east to northeast winds, likely to produce favourable conditions for what’s colloquially known as the ‘Kaimai Buster’. The Buster occurs when the aerodynamic effect of the Kaimai Range turns strong easterlies into gales a person would struggle to remain upright in and can be strong enough to topple high-sided vehicles, down powerlines, and lift rooves from buildings. Strong north to northeast winds forecast in southern parts of the region may also approach severe gale force in exposed places.

Please keep up to date with information from your local power provider, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and local civil defence.

Coastal impacts

Due to the northeasterly winds, waves along the Coromandel east coast and Firth of Thames east coast could cause overtopping/splash in low lying coastal areas of these coasts.

We do not expect any coastal impacts along the west coast of the region.

High tide times (approximate) for the Coromandel and Firth of Thames coast of concern are below:

Coromandel East Coast

• 1pm Thursday 26 March
• 2am Friday 27 March
• 2pm Friday 27 March
  

Firth of Thames

• 1pm Thursday 26 March
• 2am Friday 27 March

Land instability

Many catchments across the region remain impacted following heavy rainfall in January and February. As a result, areas that would normally experience land instability may be affected by any rainfall about the hill country and ranges. 

Whilst it is not possible to predict exactly where or when landslides will occur, properties and infrastructure, including roads on or near steep slopes, cuttings or cliffs, are naturally most at risk. People in the area should remain vigilant for early warning signs of earth movement. 

Contact local civil defence (or your council) if you observe any evidence of a landslip or flood impacts. Dial 111 if you are in immediate danger. Road users should plan ahead and keep up to date with the latest from their local council and the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Our advice is to avoid travel unless absolutely essential during and immediately following heavy rainfall. The risk does not disappear once the rain has stopped and land instability can continue for many days after the event.

What we're doing

Waikato Regional Council flood and drainage schemes

All flood and drainage infrastructure is working as it should. Local flood response staff continue to monitor forecasts and assets to ensure a timely response, should it be required.

Please note, drainage schemes will take time to return to the pre-event conditions following rainfall. Rest assured our local operations staff are monitoring. 

Waikato Regional Council telemetry

Our telemetry network continues to provide real-time data on rainfall and river levels and is monitored 24/7 by our Regional Flood Response team. Visit our Environmental Data Hub for the latest river level and rainfall accumulations. 

Next update

The next Flood Room is update is scheduled to take place by 1pm tomorrow (Thursday, 26 March 2026) but urgent updates may occur before then.

New Zealand Flood Pics

New Zealand Flood Pics is a photographic archive of flooding for Aotearoa New Zealand which is currently hosted by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). It's free for anybody to upload or download flood photographs and your contributions are welcomed.

Go to New Zealand Flood Pics