Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Area: South Waikato and Rotorua
***9.40pm, 27 February. The Severe Thunderstorm Warning RED has been lifted. A Thunderstorm watch remains in place.***
Forecast: MetService weather radar detected severe thunderstorms near ROTORUA, WAIKITE VALLEY, WAIREKA, GUTHRIE and THE HILLS AND RANGES EAST OF TOKOROA.
Very heavy rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.
If thunderstorms or flooding occur:
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Put safety first. Don’t take chances and act quickly if you see rising water.
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Flooding can happen fast. If you notice water rising, don’t wait for official warnings – move to higher ground and stay away from floodwater.
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Never walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. Many flood deaths happen when people try to drive through water.
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Assume floodwater is contaminated with run‑off, chemicals, or sewage. Avoid contact where possible, and wash hands, clothing, and property if contact occurs.
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Stay informed by listening to the official Civil Defence broadcaster RNZ - rnz.co.nz/listen/amfm
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Follow Metservice for weather updates - metservice.com
Welcome to Waikato Civil Defence.
In a disaster, people usually see the big red Fire and Emergency NZ trucks, NZ Defence Force Unimogs, St John Ambulance and others and then ask "where is Civil Defence?"
Some people may be surprised to learn that all of these in our region make up the Civil Defence system. This is co-ordinated via our Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group which is based on regional council boundaries and combines local councils, emergency services, health boards and other organisations to take a highly coordinated approach to emergency management.
When not in an emergency response, our small team of permanent professionals train those who will be deployed and work with scientists to plan for, respond to and recover from the impacts of natural phenomena and risks in our region.
