With another spell of rain on the way on Friday, Marlborough residents are being advised to ‘be ready, be prepared’ with the region’s roads, infrastructure and some communities still impacted from recent weather.
MetService has issued a Heavy Rain Watch for the period from 1pm Friday 11 July to 2am Saturday 12 July for Marlborough northwest of the Awatere Valley. The forecast is for periods of heavy rain with a moderate chance of the watch upgrading to a warning.
Marlborough Emergency Management Group Manager, Matt Kerr said there was a risk that some situations could be exacerbated in already fragile areas.
“We want to get advice out to our communities including Spring Creek, Rārangi, Northbank, Kenepuru Road and Port Underwood that readiness remains important. Although Friday evening’s weather is predicted to move through quickly, we encourage people to take stock of their preparedness, remain in touch with friends and whanau and to have plans in place for safety and support.”
“People can prepare for heavy rain by clearing drains and gutters. Be aware that streams and rivers may rise rapidly, so avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously if you need to drive at all. The rain could cause further surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions,” Mr Kerr said.
He says the weather has the potential to affect roads around the top of the south including State Highway 6 from Nelson to Blenheim, State Highway 1 between Picton and Seddon and State Highway 63 from Renwick to Kawatiri Junction.
Further updates will be provided, primarily through Marlborough District Council’s Facebook page and the Antenno alerting app.
To keep up to date with the latest information and alerts sign up to Antenno here: www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/apps/antenno.
Keep an eye on MetService for watch and warning updates at www.metservice.com/warnings/home.
Read the latest NZTA updates at: www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic-bulletins.
For further information on emergency preparedness go to: https://getready.govt.nz/emergency/floods.
