Auckland Harbour Bridge CLOSED
1:40PM UPDATE: Bridge now reopened but with limited lanes.
_______________________________________
Waka Kotahi shared that the Auckland Harbour Bridge is now closed to both northbound and southbound traffic as of 1:10PM due to weather.
Damaging gales were predicted to blow up to 110km/h, while strong wind watches are in place for nearly the entire North Island.
MetService said the gales could cause power cuts in Northland, Auckland and Waikato, with the highest winds on westerly coastlines likely to down trees.
What you need to know:
- The Harbour Bridge is closed due to high gust winds.
- Vehicles needing to travel should detour via the Western Ring Route (SH18/SH16) at this time.
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
-
89.4% Yes, it's fair
-
9.8% No, it's unreasonable
-
0.8% Other - I'll share below
Smoke in Mt Wellington
Smoke has been seen coming from the crater of the Auckland maunga Mt Wellington.
Images of the smoke began appearing on social media on Friday afternoon.
Around 1.45pm, Fire and Emergency (Fenz) shift manager Josh Pennefather told the NZ Herald a crew was fighting a fire of about 60 square metres in size.
”It’s spreading up hill … [but] there’s no property at risk at this stage,” Pennefather said.
Six fire trucks were in attendance working to contain a grass fire that's spreading up the maunga.
A helicopter was on its way to assist firefighting efforts, he added.
At 2pm, Pennefather shared that the fire was contained and they were working to extinguish it, including “keeping an eye on a whole bunch of hot spots“.
Just dough it
With three basic ingredients and a bit of creativity, you can give old containers new life with Resene testpots.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.