The NZ Transport Agency is reminding drivers to take extra care and plan travel carefully with heavy rain and strong winds forecasted for much of the lower and central North Island over the weekend.
“The weather forecast is for some rough weather coming our way, and this could impact on roads and driving conditions. There is the possibility of surface flooding in some areas, and intense rain and strong winds could lead to poor visibility. We’re reminding motorists to take care while driving, drive to the conditions, reduce their speed and increase their following distances between vehicles,” Mark Owen, regional Performance Manager, NZ Transport Agency says.
“As conditions can change rapidly, we advise people to check the latest weather and road updates before they get on the road. This could mean delaying your journey until the weather is more settled,” Mr Owen says.
The MetService has warned of the possibility of heavy rain and strong northerlies for Wellington, southern Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Kapiti Coast and Taranaki from Friday through to Sunday morning.
“We’ll have crews on stand-by to be able to quickly react to any clean-up or repair work that is required.
“We’ll be keeping our website and social media channels updated as we know more about any impact to specific routes and roads. As well as our online updates, our electronic signage on key routes will also let motorists know about current road status,” Mr Owen says.
Motorists can get real time information from:
For Wellington and Wairarapa updates
For Central North Island updates
Keep up to date with the MetService’s severe weather watch - www.metservice.com/warnings/severe-weather-watch(external link)
The Transport Agency’s Winter Journeys website www.nzta.govt.nz/winter-journeys(external link) brings together tips on winter driving and links to get updates on the latest weather and road conditions.
