Weather: Northland hammered by overnight flooding and landslides
Hi neighbours, we hope you're all doing OK despite last night's torrential rain.
The rain has caused significant slips and flooding, with some people needing help from emergency services to evacuate their homes, with Fire and Emergency NZ responding to more than 200 weather-related overnight.
The NZTA has advised of a number of state highway closures and Civil Defence Northland has strongly recommended residents avoid unessential travel.
Whangārei residents have been asked to conserve water for drinking and emergency use only due to a burst water main, while treatment plants are struggling to cope with the "intense" rainfall.
If you've been slammed by the weather and would like to share your story and some photos, please email me at caroline.williams@stuff.co.nz or comment blow.
Stay safe out there.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️