Civil Defence staff around Coromandel are working to secure houses and structures after damage from heavy swells, while wind and rain warnings are in place for parts of the East Coast.
Large swells were recorded on the east coast of the North Island on Sunday, including Northland. Photo: http://surf2surf.com
Thames Coromandel district council civil defence controller Garry Towler said all the area's beaches had lost a massive amount of sand, and Brophy's Beach had been the worst affected.
Staff were working between the tides to push up sand and rocks to secure two private properties, as well as boardwalks and steps at Brophy's Beach.
Towler said king tides would arrive on Wednesday and the current conditions would continue through the week.
"There is rain coming this weekend so we're expecting mild winds but very high seas and very rough sea conditions."
People should stay away from beaches at high tides, he said.
Thames Coromandel district council mayor Sandra Goudie reminded people to stay safe as strong winds and big waves made roads impassable.
Goudie said the bad weather would last for three four days, with the east coast affected the most.
Anyone intending to walk the Pinnacles Track in the Coromandel over the next few days should check in with the Department of Conservation before heading in, Civil Defence Waikato said on Sunday.
In eastern Bay of Plenty and Gisborne north of Ruatoria, severe gale southeasterlies were expected to reach 120km/h, MetService said.
Gisborne District Council said there could be strong swells north of the city around Tolaga Bay this evening, and wave swells tonight could be 5m to 6m.
MetService said the rain could cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly - particularly around Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria.
In Aoraki Mt Cook National Park, a warning for heightened avalanche conditions was issued.
A slab avalanche large enough to bury, injure or kill a person was reported on the Tasman glacier above 2500m yesterday.
The Avalanche Advisory recommended people heading above the snowline bring crampons and ice axes and carefully evaluate the terrain.
A deep, slow-moving low northeast of New Zealand directs a strong, moist southeast flow across the North Island through to Tuesday. Get more information on the latest Severe Watches and Warnings here https://t.co/qHyE5zhh6X. ^KL pic.twitter.com/kTEH23hXmg
— MetService (@MetService) May 23, 2021
Stormy weather over the weekend closed walking tracks and affected roads in Coromandel and Tauranga.
