Severe weather watch and power cuts for the Waikato today
Wild weather lashing the Waikato has cut power to hundreds of homes and made driving conditions treacherous. Most of the country is in for a showery and windy Monday, with a colder spell on the way that may bring snow to the Desert Rd on Tuesday.
- Rain is expected to continue in Hamilton through until Wednesday this week.
- WEL Network put out a statement at 7am on Monday saying several areas were experiencing power outages.
- Power is out to 684 properties north of Huntly in the Kimiha area. In Hillcrest around 55 homes are without power due to an unplanned outage. WEL said high winds and heavy rain posed a threat to field staff who have been advised to make sites safe and return at a later time to complete repairs.
MetService has issued a strong wind watch for the Waikato until 5pm Monday.
- Check on power outages at wel.co.nz
- People are advised to keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings here.
- Read more and follow updates here
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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53% Human-centred experience and communication
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15.7% Critical thinking
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28.8% Resilience and adaptability
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2.5% Other - I will share below!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: Are you a Te Huia fan?
All three Hamilton MPs appear to be united behind the retention of the Te Huia passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland, as well as potentially expanding it to Tauranga.
But whether Hamilton East’s Ryan Hamilton, Hamilton West’s Tama Potaka and soon-to-be Labour list MP Georgie Dansey have the combined power to shunt transport minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon onto their line of thinking remains to be seen.
Are you a Te Huia fan? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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80.5% Yes
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19.5% No
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