Tips for driving in bad weather Check your vehicleEffective brakes, tyres, windscreen wipers, lights and steering are more crucial in wet weather. Adjust your drivingWet roads can be very slippery, increase your following distance from four to six seconds.  Watch your visibilityVisibility can be reduced by heavy rain; this increases the risk of an accident. To improve visibility, turn on the demister or open a window. Brake carefullyIf the vehicle has anti-lock braking system (ABS) brakes, never pump the brakes in an emergency. Keep the pedal pressed down hard and steer out of trouble. If the vehicle doesn’t have ABS brakes, don’t brake too hard when it is wet. The vehicle may go into a dangerous skid. Instead, pump thebrakes gently. If your vehicle has auxiliary brakes read the instructions.Reduce speedOn a wet road, driving at the speed limit could be too fast for the conditions. You can lose control very easily in wet weather, especially if you must brake suddenly, so slow down. And importantly KEEP TO THE LEFT!

There are delays in the following places:1) Brynderwyns - Slip. Due to slips partially blocking lanes and flooding, SH1 is closed from Glenmohr Rd to Waipu. Expect delays or consider delaying your journey. Please follow directions of emergency services.2) Whangaripo Valley - massive flooding not passable by car. Choose alternative route.3) Wellsford - south of Wellsford on the northbound lane there is a tree on the road blocking it. Still passable but expect delays. Massive amount of water around and more slips eminent. Avoid the area if you can.4) Waiteitei Rd is under water. This is the back route from Mangawhai to Wellsford passing through Te Arai. Use SH1 instead but expect delays.5) Tomarata Valley Road is also flooded and blocked.6) Kaipara Flats Road - massive flooding and likely impassable. Avoid the area.7) Wayby Station Road, Wellsford. Avoid completely flooded about 4kms up is impassable.8) Brown Road, Mangawhai - flooding close to Wonderview Lane. Take Tara road instead.Be careful out there people!To see further updates head to our Roads / Traffic section

Warkworth regionMonday 9th January - Partly cloudy, with a few showers. Rain developing this evening. Southeasterlies, becoming strong about Great Barrier Island this morning.Tuesday 10th January - Rain, heavy at times. Southeasterlies, strong in exposed places, turning southwesterly in the evening.Wednesday 11th - Rain, easing in the morning with fine breaks developing in the afternoon. Southwesterlies, strong at times.Thursday 12th - Mainly fine, isolated showers developing. Fresh southwesterlies, easing.Friday 13th - Showers, becoming widespread and heavier. Easterlies, becoming fresh.Saturday 14th - A few showers, clearing to fine later. Northeasterlies. Sunday 15th - Showers with light winds.Mangawhai regionMonday 9th January - Partly cloudy, with showers, turning to rain this evening. Southeasterlies becoming strong around midday.Tuesday 10th January - Rain, heavy at times, easing in the evening as strong easterlies change lighter southwesterly.Wednesday 11th - Partly cloudy with southwesterlies.Thursday 12th - A few showers. Southwesterlies.Friday 13th - Partly cloudy, with rain developing. Easterlies.Saturday 14th - Showers. Easterlies.Sunday 15th - Rain with light winds.

Tropical cyclone ‘seven’ as named by the Joint Typhoon warning Center today is currently 900km west of New Caledonia moving SE at 19 knots. Sustained winds around 45 knots, gusting to 55 knots. It has yet to be officially named by a regional met agency due to different cyclone naming thresholds, but it could be officially named by Fiji Met on Sunday. It will continue to track SE while merging with other vortexes and head into the subtropics by Monday morning and come under the influence of the subtropical Jet stream as it transitions to a strong subtropical low, tracking towards the North Island. Most global weather model guidance is aligned to an impact on the North Island on Tuesday into Wednesday.Extratropical cyclones entering upper North Island waters from a Northeast direction are notorious for shifting more east in the last 24 hours, so nothing is confirmed at this stage. One exception to this trend was Cyclone Bola in 1988, which moved westward off the Pacific as the ridge strengthened. This made Bola stall and become a historically significant weather event for the North Island. Read more on Cyclone Bola impacts for the upper North at https://www.haurakigulfweather.com/cyclone-bola-1988For now, enjoy some sunny breaks amongst the showers on Sunday and Monday and tidy up any loose items around the property. Keep track of the storm at https://www.haurakigulfweather.com/cyclone3 Image: The main global weather models from overseas Met agencies, give the latest guidance from today on where the subtropical storm might possibly impact the North Island on late Monday to Wednesday. Storm and gale force winds will likely span around 300km from the centre.

ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin would have woken up Friday thinking things could only get better from here. That's because, after five days of shocking weather, they really couldn't have gotten much worse.Then he would have seen the headlines, quoting a clearly upset Emma Raducanu. The tournament drawcard suffered the ignominy of withdrawing from the Classic with an ankle injury, for which she blamed the indoor court surfaces the players had been moved to.After Raducanu's charming interactions with the media on her way to the second round match, where she said all the right things about coming to Auckland and using it as preparation for the upcoming Australian Open, that would have had to sting.If that wasn't enough, word came through mid-morning that second seed and world number 11 Holgar Rune pulled out of the men's tournament, due to start next week.So far, so bad.There is at least some sort of recourse with Raducanu. Her complaints about the court surface situation, while understandably frustrating, apply to everyone equally. She has been remarkably injury-prone since her breakthrough US Open win, which is why she came in ranked 78 in the world and was not seeded.Taking nothing away from how disappointing this is in the lead up to the Australian Open later in the month, it was either play indoors or don't play at all.The one bright spot is that the court surfaces and change of scene hasn't slowed down number one seeded American Coco Gauff one bit, who cruised to a second-round win over former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin.Arguably even more impressive has been Canadian Layleh Fernandez, who crushed Austrian Julia Grabher in her match, dropping only one game.The biggest issue though is that while both women are playing very good tennis and could potentially meet in the final on Sunday, no one can actually watch it live while the rain comes down.The indoor set-up has no stands, leaving the court looking and feeling like we were back in peak Covid precaution times. It also hasn't been designed with broadcast in mind, either, with the low camera angles and dark spots meaning that the ball essentially gets lost to anyone watching as soon as it clears the net to the far side of the court.This is not how it was supposed to happen. The return of the ASB Classic was the start of an interesting couple of months of hosting sport in New Zealand, with the World Sevens Series set to return (albeit for one last time) after its pandemic-enforced hiatus, while the English cricket team arrive in February for an anticipated series against the Black Caps.The joke in the media room is that everyone can basically reprint their pieces from the last rain-affected tournament about how Stanley Street needs a roof, but even then, that's pretty unfair given the tournament has had three long years without any revenue. Construction of such a project would not be cheap and given Auckland's glacial relationship with developing any sort of sports infrastructure, probably wouldn't be quick either.No one is really sure when rain has disrupted the tournament to this extent before, although 2018 was particularly bad with the quarter finals and semis having to take place on the same day. The one difference there was just a couple of days of the skies opening, while this year the unseasonable precipitation seems set to mess with the men's tournament too once that gets under way.Let's hope, for the tournament's sake, that the forecasters have got it wrong.

Tiny house advocates say legislation, lending and land are prohibiting people from buying tiny homes.Tiny House Hub founder Sharla May said there was "huge demand" for tiny homes, but that complications appeared when people tried to make their dream a reality.LegislationOne of the main issues tiny homes owners faced was a lack of standards across councils, said May.She compared the current system to being like if people required different licences in different cities."Imagine having a driver's licence in Auckland, moving to Hamilton ... and having to apply for a new licence in Hamilton. That's exactly what the industry faces at the moment."The majority of people, she said, were facing inconsistency when talking to council - each time talking to different people and getting different answers.A few she said were even having trouble getting people from the council "to put anything in writing confirming if their tiny house [is] legal or not".Chairperson of the New Zealand Tiny House Association (THA) and owner of Tiny House Builders Ltd Rebecca McLean said the THA would like to see a national standard created for tiny homes, so if people relocated from one location to another, council rules would be the same.She said they just needed the support of someone in government.LendingLending also presented a challenge for tiny home buyers, McLean said, with first-home buyers unable to use their KiwiSaver.Dave Tyrer, chief operating officer at Squirrel Mortgages, said that was because tiny homes were typically treated like vehicles, rather than houses, in terms of lending.As a result, buyers are also unable to get a standard home loan.Tyrer said there were "literally a handful of lenders who will lend on tiny homes".One of the biggest differences, Tyrer said, was tiny home owners often did not own the land. No land meant tiny homes had less security to put against a loan.Tyrer said an asset such as a house will degrade over time, while "typically land doesn't degrade".He believed the higher risk profile associated with a tiny house was what detracted banks from lending to them. Instead, he said most tiny house loans were treated like personal loans.But those loans also come at a higher cost. At Squirrel, he said they typically lent at 9.95 percent per annum - significantly more than than the 6.5 percent banks are charging around for a mortgage in the same time period.A one-bedroom house in Queenstown, only 33 square metres, went on the market for over $1 million last year. Photo: RNZ / Peter NewportLandNot owning their land also presented tiny house owners with issues beyond lending.May said it also presented issues around tenancy. Tiny homes on leased land aren't currently covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, she said.That raised a myriad of issues from how often the rent can be increased to who is liable for what. She said work needed to be done in that area.McLean said finding land could also be challenging. But she said it had become easier with websites such as May's Landshare, which connected those with land and those looking for it.May hoped to see the issues around tiny homes addressed."It's not for everyone, but there are a lot of people that want to live in tiny homes so … why are we stopping them?"Tiny homes could assist in solving the housing crisis, said May.McLean expected interest in tiny houses to continue to increase."People want to look at different alternative ways of living."But until the government puts in legislation to make the process simpler and more accessible, barriers would remain for some tiny house buyers.

Warkworth regionFriday 6th January - Periods of rain, turning to a few showers this evening. Northeasterlies, strong in exposed places until evening.Saturday 7th January - Partly cloudy with showers. Light winds.Sunday 8th January - Partly cloudy. Isolated afternoon and evening showers, some possibly heavy. Light winds and afternoon sea breezes.Mangawhai regionFriday 6th January - Periods of morning rain. Partly cloudy from afternoon with a few showers, possibly heavy, clearing evening. Northeasterlies.Saturday 7th January - Partly cloudy. Light winds.Sunday 8th January - Partly cloudy. A few afternoon or evening showers likely. Light winds and afternoon sea breezes.

Matakana App is now posting obituary and funeral notices on the App.You can find these under the Funeral Services button – Obituary / Death NoticesThis is another way to let our community know if someone has passed. This service we are providing free. Please email through the details to [email protected] if you have a notice, you would like us to post. You are welcome to include an image, photo, or video. Many thanks,The Matakana App team

SH1 NORTHERN TOLL ROAD WORKS - JAN-FEBTo carry out essential maintenance on the Hillcrest Bridge, located along the State Highway 1 Northern Gateway Toll Road, lane reductions will be required for approximately 3 weeks southbound and 3 weeks northbound. Work commences on recoating the Hillcrest bridge's supports/legs from Mon 09 January to Thu 26 January with SH1 reduced to 1 lane southbound throughout this period. Both northbound lanes will remain open. Following this SH1 will be reduced to 1 lane northbound from Mon 06 February to Thu 23 February. Both southbound lanes will remain open.Some delays are likely during period where lanes reductions are in place. We recommend you plan ahead to avoid congestion. Please note this work is weather dependent which may result in a change from advertised dates. Check our Traffic Map at: www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/auckland for current information.

A second North Island concert has been cancelled due to bad weather lashing the motu this week.One-day concert Summer Haze in Matakana was called off on Tuesday night because organisers could not guarantee the safety of crew and attendees.Tauranga's A Summer's Day Live organisers have now announced it too would not be going ahead Wednesday evening.The event was part of a tour of the country, and featured musical artists UB40, Jefferson Starship and Dragon.It was supposed to begin in Wharepai Domain, Mt Maunganui at 4.30pm.In a statement on the event's website, organiser Neptune Entertainment said it was cancelled "due to current and forecasted adverse weather conditions"."We had an amazing show planned, however safety is our top priority and this call has been made with our customers and staff first in mind," the statement continued.Customers would receive an automatic refund within 10 business days, Neptune Entertainment said."Thank you for your understanding," the statement concluded.Comments on Neptune Entertainment's social media post about the cancellation were largely positive, with people agreeing the weather was too severe.

The stretch of State Highway 1 between Warkworth and Wellsford through Dome Valley has always been prone to disasters. It was first graded in the 1860s as a part of the Great North Road, a troubled project to connect Auckland with Whangarei. A lack of government investment led the road to quickly degrade in quality. Eventually, the road shifted to more stable terrain bringing the very legality of the route into question.In 1920, the Rodney County Council re-surveyed the road and metalled it. But it was still not up to the task. Winter weather made it unusable for months at a time as the clay underlying the metal turned into thick, greasy mud. The road was unusable almost every winter and spring. Farmers Trading Company even placed a sign outside its Wellsford store indicating when the road was closed. The alternative route was a 46-km detour through Kaipara Flats, Tauhoa, Wharehine, and Port Albert, which had a concrete all-weather highway but was prone to flooding at the Hoteo River crossing.The current alignment of State Highway 1 through Dome Valley was completed in 1933, adding smoother bends and gentler grades. However, it could not overcome the forces of nature. In March and July 1935, torrential rainstorms caused several slips and a large sinkhole that blocked all traffic between Wellsford and Warkworth. Despite countless repairs and upgrades over the ensuing decades, this section remains one of the most problematic along the highway. Be careful and drive safely this summer if travelling through Dome Valley.

A fire in a 100-year-old pōhutukawa tree, that has been burning for more than two days, has been finally put out yesterday.The fire began late on New Year's Eve at Martin's Bay, in Mahurangi East, and was thought to be caused by fireworks.A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said one crew member and a tanker remained at the site overnight and into this morning.Northeasterly winds were fanning the flames under the tree's exposed roots but the pōhutukawa was unable to be cut down as it was near the edge of a cliff, with a house below, they said.The fire had been extinguished and the crew left about 10.30am, the spokesperson said.No FENZ investigation into the fire and its cause was likely to take place.For video of the burning tree go to Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade https://fb.watch/hQetO_tQ4y/

The northern part of New Zealand has been shaken by a strong earthquake this morning.The 5.1 magnitude quake hit at a depth of 7km about 5km south of Te Aroha in the Waikato region at 5.39am.More than 20,000 people reported feeling a shake in the areas nearby, including Hamilton, Tauranga, Auckland, and Rotorua.It was followed by two 2.7 magnitude earthquakes in the same spot at 5.47am and 5.51am.About 8000 people reported feeling the first aftershock, and about 4000 reported feeling the second.Truck driver Darryn Phayer said his 25-tonne truck swayed sharply in the first earthquake."The truck started violently shaking and I thought 'oh what's going on here', but literally, prior to that, in the farm across the road from the yard, a bunch of dogs started barking and I thought 'oh what's upset them' and within a couple of minutes, it was up on GeoNet."[It] scared the living daylights out of me, to be honest."On the east coast, Pauanui resident Christine Harrison said it was the strongest quake she had ever felt."It was a strong jolt in that it made me grab the edge of the bed to really hold on but as quickly as it started, it stopped."It comes after a 3.9 magnitude quake hit in the same spot last week.GeoNet said they were likely on the same fault system.The area last had a strong quake in 1972 with a 4.9 magnitude earthquake, GeoNet said.A 1972 bulletin, published by the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, reports a 5.1 magnitude quake in the area, with damage confined to the region but also felt as far as Mangakino and Whakatāne.There was also said to be numerous aftershocks the next month.

Auckland regionHeavy Rain WatchPeriod: 24hrs from 9am Wednesday (4th Jan) to 9am Thursday (5th Jan)Area: Auckland including Great Barrier IslandForecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria, especially in the north and east.Issued: 8:05pm Tue 3 JanStrong Wind WatchPeriod: 24hrs from 9am Wednesday, 4th Jan to 9am Thursday, 5th JanArea: Auckland including Great Barrier IslandForecast: Northeast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.Mangawhai regionHeavy Rain Warning - OrangePeriod: 30hrs from 1am Wednesday (4th Jan) to 7am Thursday (5th Jan)Area: NorthlandForecast: Expect 110 to 160 mm of rain to accumulate, mainly in the north and east, though the eastern hills may see accumulations of 200 to 250 mm. Peak rates of 20 to 30 mm/h expected from Wednesday night.Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 30hrs from 1am Wednesday (4th Jan) to 7am Thursday (5th Jan)Area: NorthlandForecast: Northeast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.

Traffic CongestionDue to holiday congestion, road users should expect traffic delays Southbound as you are entering Wellsford then again heading into Warkworth. Slow until after Johnstone Hill Tunnel.Expect delays or travel at a different time.

Work is underway to create a system that better protects rongoā Māori in law, but practitioners of traditional Māori medicine are worried it will cause more harm than good.Donna Kerridge is a lifelong practitioner of rongoā, and a strong advocate for how it can work in tandem with western medicine.She uses plants such as kawakawa to treat wounds or brews it into a tea to settle things like stomach pain.For the last 10 years she has been trying to get the Ministry of Health to protect and enable rongoā Māori.She is currently unable to make claims about the benefits of her products, so reforms are needed, she said."The Medicines Act is outdated, it's biased in favour of western medicine above all other forms of health and well-being that are available to the citizens of Aotearoa. Urgent reform is definitely required."The government is doing that, exploring how rongoā might be protected in legislation.Associate health minister Peeni Henare said there was a Treaty obligation to protect rongoā Māori, but there was also an obligation to ensure health products were safe and effective.He said officials were exploring how rongoā Māori would be affected by the Therapeutic Products Bill, currently before Parliament."What we want to be able to do is give the rongoā community the opportunity to design this particular pathway for themselves, to make sure that we can do that in the best interests of making sure we protect rongoā Māori, but of course those who practice and those who use it," he said.That's a far cry from previous legislation, like the Tohunga Suppression Act and the Quackery Prevention Act, which nearly wiped out rongoā Māori, forcing it underground.The Therapeutic Products Bill aims to ensure products are safe, but it will also regulate how products are made, tested, promoted and exported.Kawakawa leaves are used to treat a number of ailments.Canterbury University health researcher Annabel Ahuriri-Driscoll said some practitioners were worried it could overreach into traditional practice, with unintended consequences."One of the key things that came through in some of the research we did for the Ministry of Health was this dilemma of maintaining the integrity of rongoā as a cultural practice, as a taonga, but also trying to reap the benefits of integrating it within mainstream."Dr Ahuriri-Driscoll says a balance needs to be struck, where rongoā Māori is recognised without the Crown taking control of a taonga."I guess if we think that these things might happen in accordance with that principle of partnership then that's very positive. But I think the concern is I just don't know that legislation is able to be flexible enough enough to accommodate our tikanga in the way that we would hope."Rongoā Māori is growing in popularity, and there hasn't been a single health and safety complaint about rongoā Māori in the past two years.Donna Kerridge Photo: RNZ/Justine MurrayDonna Kerridge is questioning the Crown's ability to regulate rongoā Māori."If the Crown tries to regulate rongoā Māori my question is where is the expertise within the Crown to do so and to do so safely and in the interests of its Treaty partner and in the interest of the public of New Zealand.""You know rongoā Māori is already regulated, it's regulated by tikanga Māori, and that has worked fine for more than 700 years," she said.Peeni Henare said rongoā practitioners will have a significant voice in any reforms, and he's seeing opportunity to expand the use of rongoā.He said the health ministry will be carrying out extensive consultation from February, before providing advice in April.

Summer is here and for many that means plenty of time spent in, on or by our beautiful moana. There’s a whole host of wonderful and weird creatures to come across in the sea around Te Taitokerau – some more friendly than others. Here’s a few to look out for.JellyfishJellyfish blooms are becoming more common, as rising sea temperatures increase their food supply. Jellyfish are primeval invertebrates, so these bizarre but fantastic creatures have no bones, heart or brain, but still catch prey, reproduce and defend themselves.Lion’s mane, moon jellyfish, blue bottle and spotted jellyfish are the most common species in the sea around Northland.Not all jellyfish are stingers, but if you should get stung then the Ministry of Health advice is to get out of the water and wash the area with sea water to remove stinging cells. If any tentacles remain, use a dry towel to carefully remove them, then immerse the area in heated tap water for 15-20 minutes. Don’t urinate on it! Despite this being a widely-held belief, it won’t help and might make the pain worse.Red AlgaeResidents and holidaymakers at Waipū Cove know all about red algae. It grows on the surface of the sea and is then washed to shore by waves and the tide. It can form a thick mat, which looks unpleasant and smells even worse. At Waipū Cove the algae accumulates at the southern end of the beach, near the surf club and the car park, unfortunately where beach use is highest.Micro algae and seaweed blooms occur throughout New Zealand and the red algae is not believed to be dangerous to humans or animals.NRC has commissioned a report from NIWA on the algae, submitting samples, responses to questionnaires, reports and photographs from members of the public and this is available to download: Report - Macroalgae at Waipu, Northland (PDF, 5.8MB)  Toxic Sea SlugThe grey side-gilled sea slug (Pleurobranchaea maculate) is a highly poisonous native creature that can be found around the intertidal zone. During summer they can lose their grip on shallow tidal rocks and get washed up onto the beach. In January 2021 a toxic sea slug was spotted on Russell’s Long Beach and they have been found in Tauranga and in the Huaraki Gulf every summer since 2009.The slugs contain tetrodotoxin, the same poison found in puffer fish, which is deadly to humans. One slug can contain enough toxin to kill at least four adults, a lethal dose being about half a teaspoon. Dogs are at risk if they eat or lick slugs washed up on the beach and several dogs have died after doing so. The slug is grey, slimy and up to 10cm in size. If you see one on the beach, don’t touch it and be sure to keep your dog on a leash.StumpyHave you come across the legendary Stumpy? This beautiful, friendly stingray cruises the shoreline around Tutukākā and is known for his inquisitive nature and his missing tail. No-one knows who called him Stumpy, but everyone knows that’s what he’s called! A perfect example of a local legend, look out for him around Tutukaka Marina if you’re on the water. He might approach you, as he’s very curious, but don’t try to touch him.If you’re wondering what else might be in the water, head to Safeswim, the new way NRC delivers water quality information. You can access up-to-the minute water quality predications and swimming conditions at your favourite swimming spots around Northland, including patrol hours at Surf Lifesaving beaches. This invaluable resource can be found at www.safeswim.org.nz  so you can make informed choices on where to be in the sea this summer.

Warkworth regionMonday 2nd January - Cloudy periods and isolated showers. Easterlies becoming strong in exposed places this afternoon.Tuesday 3rd January - Cloudy periods and a few showers. Brisk easterlies.Wednesday 4th - Showers, turning to rain in the morning. Northeasterlies, becoming strong in the morning.Thursday 5th - Rain, turning to showers later, some heavy. Strong northeasterlies, easing later.Friday 6th - Rain, easing to isolated showers later. Strong northeasterlies, easing later.Mangawhai regionMonday 2nd January - Cloudy periods with a few showers. Easterlies, strong at times.Tuesday 3rd January - Mostly cloudy with rain at times. Fresh easterlies.Wednesday 4th - Rain. Northeasterlies.Thursday 5th - Rain. Northeasterlies.Friday 6th - Showers with northeasterlies.

A busy night for firefighters as they were called out to multiple fires in the Northland area. One of the more severe fires was a scrub fire started by fireworks in Mahurangi East. Six crews arrived on site at 11 pm on New Year’s Eve and worked throughout the night to keep the fire from reaching homes. There was also a large fire at Puhoi at 1:30 am this morning.Due to the inaccessibility of the fire, firefighters had to reach the fire on foot as fire trucks could not drive to the site. Thank you to our hard-working fire departments and volunteer firefighters working hard to keep our communities safe.