Drivers are being asked, once again, to take extra care on the roads as the third bout of bad weather in as many weeks is forecast for the lower North and Upper South Islands.
Metservice has a heavy rain watch in place for Tasman and Marlborough for late Monday through to Tuesday. Rain is also forecast for the Wellington region for Monday afternoon and evening.
Mark Owen, Regional Manager – Wellington/Top of the South, says the continuing bad weather means there is a continuing risk of slips, treefalls, and other damage to the local State Highway networks.
“We’ve all seen what’s happened over the last few weeks with slips and rockfalls. More rain means more risk of this continuing. Drivers don’t just have to be adjusting to their speed in the wet weather. They need to be aware of the other hazards rain and storms can bring. You never know what might be around the next bend”.
Mr Owen also has a warning for Lower Hutt and Wellington drivers following last week’s slips on the Eastern Hutt Road.
“With lane closures on Eastern Hutt Road, we expect there to be more people driving on State Highway 2 while repairs are carried out. With the school holidays over and many people returning to work, we want commuters to be aware that travel times on State Highway 2 between the Hutt Valley and Wellington City could be longer than normal”.