Source: Radio New Zealand
Campers at Totaranui Abel Tasman National Park had a near miss when a tree came down on some of their tents during Tuesday’s storm. Supplied / Warwick Fitzsimmons
Residents in parts of Horowhenua are being urged to conserve water immediately after recent heavy rain and strong winds caused power outages.
The Horowhenua District Council said there was ongoing pressure on water and wastewater systems due to earlier power outages.
People in Foxton, Foxton Beach and Tokomaru have been asked to take shorter showers, avoid watering lawns, delay non-essential water use such as washing cars and outdoor cleaning.
“Power loss to several water and wastewater treatment plants has meant council has had to rely on emergency back-up generators to maintain essential services. In some locations, this has placed additional strain on operations,” the council said.
“The key concern at present is the combination of the busy New Year period and high visitor numbers. Foxton and Foxton Beach are experiencing low reservoir levels as demand increases.”
The council was able to truck additional water into the network as a precaution to protect supply and ensure contingency for firefighting if required.
Fences and trees are down on Tuesday in the Summerhill area of Palmerston North after a windy night. RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
“However, this is a costly measure, and council is asking residents and visitors to help by using water wisely,” it said.
People were also asked to “follow the golden rule – if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down”.
Thunderstorms still possible
Meanwhile, a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for much of the inland North Island Wednesday, from Northland through to Wellington.
MetService said conditions could become severe this afternoon, with downpours of up to 40mm per hour.
They were expected to affect Northland, Auckland, Waikato, through Waitomo and Taranaki, down to Manawatu and Kapiti-Horowhenua to Wellington.
The forecaster said driving conditions will be hazardous, and the rainfall could lead to slips and sudden flooding.
The watch was expected to be lifted at 10pm Wednesday night.
Power outages repair work underway
Power has now been partially restored in Shannon and Tokomaru townships, and work has been continuing across surrounding areas.
“Because a number of individual line and pole replacements are still required, some households may continue to be without power for a period while repairs are completed,” the council said.
More than 400 households in the North Island were still out of power due to the recent weather events, according to electricity distributor Powerco.
It said Manawatū and Thames-Coromandel are still the most affected regions and it’s unsure when power can be restored.
There were 202 households without power in Manawatū, and 198 in Thames-Coromandel through to South Waikato, the company said.
Crews from Electra respond to weather-related power outage damages in Tokomaru on Monday. Supplied / Facebook
Other affected areas include Wairarapa, Whanganui, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki.
A spokesperson from Powerco said field crews were out this morning and throughout the day conducting repairs, including clearing trees from lines and reconnecting downed lines.
“Due to the complexity of the repair work, Powerco is unable to give reconnection times to customers – we acknowledge this is frustrating especially for customers who have been without power since Monday,” the company said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand