Road slips, road closures and heavy rainfall
The lower North Island is being battered by heavy rain, with authorities telling people in Wellington to limit travel.
What you need to know:
- Some roads have flooded around the region, with NZTA Waka Kotahi saying SH2 near Petone had one northbound lane closed.
- Police said on social media flooding and slips had been reported on SH2, particularly between Petone and Silverstream. They are warning people to take care driving
- A train was hit by rockfall on the Kāpiti line and reversed away from it so commuters could get off at the Paekākāriki station.
- Hutt Valley High School closed due to burst water main
- Wellington Region Emergency Management Office is urging residents in the Greater Wellington region to work from home today if they can, due to heavy rain in the region.
Chair Anita Baker told RNZ she was expecting heavy rain in another hour. She said teams were meeting about whether to kick in emergency responses.
- Flooding and slips have been reported on a number of roads, including parts of State Highway 2, particularly between Petone and Silverstream. Police ask motorists to take care by reducing speed, using headlights and watching your visibility.
- Lower Hutt battered by heaviest rainfall in the region overnight
- Cars being removed from Hutt City carpark due to flooding.
- The Riverbank carpark in Lower Hutt is closed due to flooding, with contractors removing the cars currently parked there.
- At 7.48am SH2 is wet at Melling in Lower Hutt and traffic is backed up
Weather warnings:
- An orange heavy rain warning is in place for Tararua Range, Kāpiti Coast and north Wellington.
- heavy rain watch was also in place from 8am to 6pm for Horowhenua.
- Some roads have flooded around the region, with NZTA Waka Kotahi saying SH2 near Petone had one northbound lane closed.
- An orange heavy rain warning is in place for Tararua Range, Kāpiti Coast and north Wellington.
- A heavy rain watch was also in place from 8am to 6pm for Horowhenua.
Keep up to date with latest updates on the Stuff website.
Suellen’s sweet Christmas tradition
The festive season is always a great excuse to indulge your sweet tooth, and this time of year poses the perfect opportunity to bring a real showstopper to the Christmas table.
For Suellen’s family, that showstopper is Croquembouche, an impressive tower of cream puffs bound together with spun sugar that is popular at weddings in France and Italy.
What began as a birthday treat at a local French café has become a cherished Christmas tradition for Suellen and her 17-year-old twin granddaughters, Ellie and Sadie. Every year, the trio gather in Suellen’s apartment at William Sanders Village to cook this festive dessert - a holiday highlight they all treasure.
Click read more for the recipe.
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!