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Auckland Emergency Management has issued a new update this morning, April 10, about the incoming Cyclone Vaianu.
STRONG WIND WARNING – RED for Aotea Great Barrier Island for 13 hours from 5am on Sunday, April 12, to 6pm on Sunday, April 12.
What to expect: Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale westerlies Sunday afternoon, with damaging gusts of 140km/h.
Note winds easing from the north during Sunday afternoon.
What to do: Be prepared to shelter in place, stay indoors and away from trees. Avoid travel. Be ready for communication outages.
HEAVY RAIN WARNING – ORANGE FOR AUCKLAND AND AOTEA GREAT BARRIER ISLAND for 12 hours from 2am on Sunday, April 11, to 2pm on Sunday, April 12.
What to expect: 70 to 100mm of rain to accumulate. Peak rates of 10 to 20mm an hour.
What to do: Be prepared for streams and rivers that may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions are possible. Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.
STRONG WIND WATCH – ORANGE FOR AUCKLAND EXCEPT AOTEA GREAT BARRIER ISLAND for 19 hours from 9pm on Saturday, April 11, to 4pm on Sunday, April 12.
What to expect: Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale westerlies Sunday afternoon.
Gusting 130km per hour in exposed places. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Red warning.
Now’s the time to prepare while there’s still time. Talk to family and friends and make a plan.
Find out more at https://www.aucklandemergencymanagement.govt.nz/…/get…/
Cyclone Vaianu – preparation and travel advice from AT and NZTA
The Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC), which is a joint venture between Auckland Transport (AT) and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) for managing the transport network in real time, is working closely with partner agencies including MetService, Auckland Emergency Management (AEM), and Emergency Services to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Vaianu.
ATOC is activating an Incident Response team to monitor and respond 24/7 to transport network impacts, including disruption to public transport services.
Zane Davidson, ATOC incident controller, says AT and NZTA staff and contractors are supporting the response.
“They are securing construction sites and ensuring any loose debris such as traffic equipment and signage are properly secured or safely packed away.
“Ahead of the Cyclone’s arrival, they are monitoring and clear hotspots for leaf fall and regularly check key drainage areas to help prevent flooding.
“Additional maintenance crews are on standby, ready to respond to increased flooding events and to keep a close watch on locations where slips may occur.”
Staying informed
Davidson says there will be multiple channels used for keeping Aucklanders informed about impacts to the transport network leading up to Cyclone Vaianu’s arrival and during the event.
Travel Advice
Driving: When there’s heavy rain and wind, there is a higher safety risk. Drive to the conditions by slowing down, allowing more space between cars, putting your lights on when visibility is low, ensuring all passengers are wearing seatbelts and staying alert.
Do not drive through flood waters. There might be debris or hazards you can’t see.
Drivers might want to consider avoiding or postponing unnecessary travel, but if they are out driving and conditions suddenly worsen, they should consider pulling over somewhere safe and waiting out the weather before continuing. Drivers should also think about giving themselves plenty of time to slow down early.
Auckland Harbour Bridge: High winds create a risk that gusts of wind may blow vehicles into the bridge structure or the path of other vehicles.
Drivers should expect the bridge may need to be fully closed if wind gusts get too high. It is also likely that there will be lane closures and reduced speed limits in place.
If the bridge is closed, drivers will need to detour around State Highways 16 and 18.
Several bus routes cross the bridge, which may mean delays if buses are detoured or cancelled.
Motorists should pay attention to the electronic signs on the motorway, allow extra time and check traffic levels on navigation apps before you leave.
Check for real time updates before travelling on the NZTA Highway conditions page: Highway conditions for Auckland | NZTA Journey Planner.
Allow extra time when travelling on public transport during severe weather in case there are delays during your journey. Before taking public transport check the live departures feature in the AT Mobile app.
Advice for boaties from the Harbourmaster
Auckland Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton is advising people with boats to prepare now for the bad weather.
“Go out today, don’t wait for the weather to get worse and make sure your vessel is secure. Ensure your mooring lines are in good condition and run extra lines if necessary. Make sure loose sails are tied down and that there’s nothing loose on deck.
“If your boat is on a mooring in an exposed location, consider moving it somewhere safer such as a mariner in a sheltered bay if possible.
“There are 3,500 boats on swing moorings in the Auckland region, and those are the ones that are most at risk from the bad weather.
“After every storm we always get some that break off and come ashore, and we don’t want to see too many of those this time around.
“In general, make sure your vessel is ready to encounter some very strong winds over the weekend.”
