Northland Civil Defence is urging Northlanders and those visiting the region to be prepared as MetService New Zealand has issued an Orange Heavy Rain Warning and Severe Thunderstorm watch for Northland tonight until 12pm Monday.

With this heavy rain coming on top of the recent heavy rain, streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips and road closures are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.

Northland Civil Defence Controller Graeme MacDonald says, "We know there have been a few weather warnings for the region recently and it’s easy to get complacent since we got off lightly last time, but Northlanders should take this one seriously and be prepared."

MacDonald says, if you haven’t already, take the time to prepare "there are simple things you can do like ensuring you have supplies ready in case you need to stay at home for a prolonged period, as well as relocating items from any areas of your property that are prone to flooding. You can also check getteady.govt.nz for more ways to prepare"

He also urges residents to drive to the conditions and if possible, avoid traveling later tonight and tomorrow "especially since thunderstorms are possible on top of the heavy rain we have already received, we may see hazards across our roading network, so please stay home if you can and keep up to date with the weather conditions".

"We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one and you can keep up to date with any key information on this weather event on the Northland Civil Defence Facebook page or in the Civil Defence section of the Northland Regional Council website: https://www.nrc.govt.nz/civildefence/

Lastly, he adds "if at any time you feel you, your family and/or your property are at risk, immediately contact emergency services on 111."

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