Emergency alertSun, Feb 12, 16:32pmIssued by Northland Civil Defence at 4:30pm, 12 Feb, 2023.A state of emergency has been declared for Northland as of 4.40pm, for an initial seven-day period. This is a precautionary as a part our response to Cyclone Gabrielle. This is to allow the Civil Defence Controller and other authorities involved in the response to access emergency powers to protect life and property. Overnight tonight and tomorrow are the key times of concern with the possibility of widespread heavy rainfall and gale force winds causing issues across Northland.Please continue to stay up-to-date with weather forecasts and official information, have a plan in case you need to evacuate, check on neighbours, avoid non-essential travel and take extreme care if you do need to be on the roads.More info is on the Civil Defence Northland Facebook page and the Civil Defence pages of www.nrc.govt.nzIf life is in danger call 111 immediately.

Gabrielle is now within 500km of Cape Reinga. Gabrielle’s speed has begun to slow down, and will take the next 36 hours to track south down the east coast of Northland before finally turning to the east and moving away. This means the heavy rain and strong winds are set to persist until Tuesday. The strongest wind gust recorded so far is 140km/h at Cape Reinga, and some parts of Northland have already seen over 120mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says the city is well-prepared and taking the threat of Cyclone Gabrielle seriously, as officials provide an update on what the country can expect in coming days.Auckland Emergency Management gave its latest state of emergency update as Cyclone Gabrielle makes landfall in New Zealand.Brown said it would be a challenging time, but Auckland was well-prepared and taking it seriously."This time, we've got a lot more warning and we are better-prepared [than the flooding in late January]."He said the build-up to the cyclone had been "intense"."I'm well aware of the remote rural areas. I've ensured that they've been included in all of the planning, not just an urban-based plan."He said emergency services were on high alert, and asked for people to check on neighbours, whānau, friends to make sure they were okay."Aucklanders are strong and resilient and we will get through this. Stay safe. Kia kaha."Deputy mayor Desley Simpson urged people to reach out if they needed help."You've still got time, Auckland. Please prepare. There will be destruction from this cyclone."Fire and Emergency spokesperson Vaughan Mackereth said they were bringing in specialist crews, medics, engineers, search and rescue and more."People can be confident there are sufficient firefighters."He said there had been a small number of callouts in Northland today, including a tree fallen on a house, and several coming down on powerlines."Take action at home if you haven't already. Tie down all loose items in your backyard. Bring them inside."Once the storm hits, stay off the roads if you can. That reduces your risk, don't drive or ride through floodwater. It's hard to judge the depth or see hidden objects."Auckland Transport safety executive general manager Stacey van der Putten said people should keep off the road as much as possible."If you need to travel, take the time to plan your journey with the most up to date information available."She warned of possible changes and cancellations in the public transport network and that while the goal was to keep public transport operating, "we do need to take a risk-based approach" based on safety.Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Rachel Kelleher confirmed that Monday and Tuesday rubbish collections would not happen and the next collection would not be until the next collection date.She said several programmes of work - such as the flood-affected property from kerbsides - had been stopped, and would resume once the impact of Gabrielle was known.She said this would be a "severe and potentially devastating weather event", and urged people to take advice seriously."I want to assure you that supermarkets will continue to remain open. They're well-stocked."She said individual supermarkets might shut if they were affected.Kelleher said anybody going to a shelter could take pets such as "contained cats" and dogs on leashes with them.She said Aucklanders should check AEM.org.nz and Facebook for up-to-date information and the locations of shelters.Northland is already experiencing Cyclone Gabrielle's impacts, with nearly 1500 homes losing power.Some parts of Auckland have also lost power.

Road closures and updatesStrong wind warnings on Auckland Harbour Bridge - reduced lanes and 30kmph speed limitOneriri Road, Kaiwaka - no access to property beyond 1180 Oneriri Road due to a fallen treeAccess Road, Ruawai - closed due to a fallen treeCove Road, Mangawhai -down to one lane due to a fallen treeCurrent power outages in parts ofTawharanui PeninsulaBig OmahaMatakanaLeighWellsfordOrewaWainuiPuhoiWarkworthHakaruOneririTo report an electricity fault in Rodney District please phone 0508 83 28 67To report an electricity fault in Kaipara or Whangarei Districts please phone 0800 10 40 40.With more power outages and road conditions worsening as the weather increases, please avoid travel if possible and remember all power lines and connections should be treated as live at all times.

Yesterday afternoon A Defence Force Bomb disposal squad blew up a suspicious item on Orewa Beach.The item was discovered on Orewa Beach at 2pm by a member of the public and notified police.Police confirmed that a section of the beach was cordoned off on Saturday afternoon while the Defence Force bomb squad set up a cordon and disposed of the item.

Severe weather warnings are in place for most of the North Island, with Cyclone Gabrielle due to arrive in the region on Sunday.Winds have cut power, brought down trees and blocked roads on Norfolk Island, halfway between New Zealand and Australia, but it appears to have been spared the worst.It's been downgraded to a Category 2 system, but forecasters warn it could still bring destructive winds and heavy rain. One resident said most of the properties on the island are not built to withstand severe cyclones.Orange-level strong wind warnings are in place across the upper North Island, from Northland through to Hawke's Bay.Air New Zealand has cancelled several flights.Auckland and CoromandelRain has been falling overnight in Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The wettest part of the country currently is Waitakere, West Auckland.The rain is forecast to get heavier, with severe gales also likely.MetService says the amount of rain forecast for Coromandel Peninsula and northern Gisborne is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding.Coromandel is under a red-level heavy rain warning, with up to 400mm expected on the ranges, and up to 250mm elsewhere. Monday afternoon/evening is expected to be the peak, and "cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding", as well as slips.Auckland and Great Barrier Island are under an orange heavy rain warning, with up to 250mm north of Whangaparapa and 200m south."There remains some uncertainty associated with the exact track of Cyclone Gabrielle. Changes may be made in following updates, and this may be upgraded to a red warning."Auckland Transport is urging travellers to be extremely cautious. Executive general manager of safety, Stacey van der Putten, says although the worst weather is expected from Monday, Auckland is already feeling the cyclone's impacts.She warns the Harbour Bridge may face closures or restrictions on short notice, and travellers should keep an alternative route in mind.Van der Putten is also encouraging Aucklanders to reconsider travelling on Monday and Tuesday.The New Zealand Defence Force is expecting to be called out for evacuations.Lieutenant Colonel Steve Fisher has been working with Auckland Emergency Management to prepare for evacuations around the North Island. He said roughly 100 Defence Force personnel are preparing for the cyclone response in Auckland, with more positioned outside the city."I think based on the last weather events we've seen, evacuations are likely. But the issue here is that the cyclone is largely unpredictable, so we need to be ready to move assets around the North Island based on where the greatest need is."An Auckland firefighter was frustrated by the dire lack of staff as the region faced yet another major weather event.Firefighters' union Auckland Secretary Martin Campbell said his station will have even fewer staff than they had during the floods two weeks ago, and the lack of firefighters will leave Aucklanders vulnerable."It's the worst-case scenario - we're here to protect the public, we're here to do a job. We are being prevented from being able to do that… it frustrates us immensely because we know the organisation can and should be being doing so much better."Maritime New Zealand is warning boaties to stay out of the water when Cyclone Gabrielle hits the country.Spokesperson Michael-Paul Abbott said heavy rain can cause flooding which hides potential risks, and kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders should not be in the water.He says bulk carriers, container ships, passenger ferries should have plans in place for such a weather event.NorthlandNorthland is under an orange heavy rain warning, with up to 250mm expected south of Kaeo, and 150mm elsewhere. Monday afternoon/evening will be the worst of it.The region had winds over 130km/h at 6am Sunday, MetService said.MetService said the orange warning could be upgraded to red as the cyclone arrives.An iwi in the far north says it's prepared to support its community when Cyclone Gabrielle hits.Chief executive of Te Runanganui o Te Aupouri, Mariameno Kapa-kingi, said their team has already done welfare checks for about 200 people in Te Kao ahead of the weather.Kapa-kingi said they're ready to help with the clearing of downed trees, and any other needs of the community during the weather event.A number of marae in Northland may be available as welfare centres when Cyclone Gabrielle hits the region.A health organisation based near Kaitaia, Whakawhiti Ora Pai, said it has been talking to marae in the area. General manager Errol Murray said several marae are prepared to step up if needed, and they have been doing welfare checks on vulnerable communities ahead of the cyclone."We just make do. Our team's already doing some welfare checks… seeing if they're prepared and make sure they don't need a reason to go out. We're also preparing food, kai and water."

Auckland Emergency Management If you think you'd need to seek refuge from #cyclonegabrielle, Civil Defence Centres and shelter sites will be opened when needed. It's best to find out now where your local one is at https://bit.ly/3lmhwSp Shelters: provide a place to be safe while the worst of the weather passes. Blankets and hot drinks will be available but shelters aren’t equipped for extended stays. Civil Defence Centres (CDCs): are equipped to provide you with a safe place to eat, sleep and access essential support services.SHELTERS / CIVIL DEFENCE CENTRES IN NTH RODNEY- Warkworth Town Hall- Wellsford Community Centre- Ahuroa HallSTH RODNEYWaimauku War Memorial Hall llAuckland Emergency Management It's time to get Cyclone Ready, Auckland! If you think you'd need to seek refuge from #cyclonegabrielle, Civil Defence Centres and shelter sites will be opened when needed. It's best to find out now where your local one is at https://bit.ly/3lmhwSp Shelters: provide a place to be safe while the worst of the weather passes. Blankets and hot drinks will be available but shelters aren’t equipped for extended stays. Civil Defence Centres (CDCs): are equipped to provide you with a safe place to eat, sleep and access essential support services.

Heavy rain from Cyclone Gabrielle is likely to arrive in Northland slightly earlier than expected, while the Auckland Harbour Bridge is already under a wind warning.An orange warning is in place for severe wind and heavy rain for several areas including Northland, Auckland north of Whangaparaoa and Great Barrier Island.MetService says regardless of the storm's eventual track, there is a very high risk of extreme and impactful weather over the upper North Island late Saturday night, spreading to south and central New Zealand by Monday.North of New Zealand, Norfolk Island has declared a red alert and residents have been urged to take shelter as Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle continues to track straight towards the island.The Bureau of Meteorology says gale-force winds could impact the island through Saturday night and into Sunday.Emergency Management Norfolk Island (EMNI) moved the island to a red alert Saturday afternoon, meaning people should stay inside until further notice.Strong winds are already being felt in the north, with Waka Kotahi issuing a strong winds warning late this afternoon for the Auckland Harbour bridge."Please take extra care especially if you are in a lighter or high-sided vehicle or riding a motorcycle."A red warning for heavy rain was issued today for the Coromandel Peninsula and Tairawhiti Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay.MetService says it expects up to 400 millimetres of rain to fall in the regions, mostly on Monday.The storm is due to track across Northland before moving south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday.Forecasters are warning of strong wind, heavy rain and big seas.MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said the cyclone would bring widespread severe weather.The cyclone had taken a more eastern track over the last few days, but there was still disagreement over where the central point will lie when it made landfall, Ferris said."It's still looking like Monday-Tuesday are going to be the biggest days for the weather with the approaching cyclone. The worst impacts, where they are and when they occur, are still going to be riding on where the track of the cyclone actually eventuates."The storm is due to track across Northland on Sunday before moving south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday. It is possible that even Wellington could see some impacts, MetService said.It has been upgraded to category 3.MetService has issued heavy rain and strong wind watches ahead of its arrival.Civil Defence Controller for the Coromandel Garry Towler says as well as heavy rain, winds of up to 130 kilometers an hour are expected and after weeks of severe weather, civil defence officials are very worried.He said the Coromandel was in a fragile state and Civil Defence was deploying as many resources onto the Coromandel as they could.He said a mobile alert will be issued this afternoon, and warnings will go out to people in vulnerable areas.Travel warnings issuedMeanwhile, the government is urging people to avoid non-essential travel in areas that could be hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.Air New Zealand has cancelled several flights.Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said safety trumped the disappointment of scrapping weekend plans."We would urge people, despite the inconvenience this would naturally cause, to heed that advice, because it is not given lightly. We are taking this very seriously. Depending on how this tracks it could be quite severe and we're just asking people to take it seriously."McAnulty said he had assurances government agencies and local civil defence services would update their social media channels regularly.People were also being urged to stock three days' worth of food and water and prepare for possible power outages.Supermarkets have urged shoppers to be patient as people stocked up on essential supplies.St John Ambulance said it was scaling up in preparation for Cyclone Gabrielle.Spokesperson Dan Ohs said St John had increased deployments in Northland, Coromandel, Auckland, and Bay of Plenty.There would be extra ambulances and four wheel drives on the ground, he said."For us it looks like additional ambulances where that's relevant and in particular, four-wheel-drives. We're also in discussion with Wellington Free (Ambulance). Wellington Free have a rescue unit capability and four-wheel-drive resources."Parents in Auckland are likely to receive communication from their children's school this weekend about Cyclone Gabrielle.Yesterday, the Ministry of Education advised Auckland schools that they must decide individually whether to stay open or close in response to the storm. The decision would be based on schools' assessment of health and safety risk of their situation.

Police are yet to find three remand prisoners on the run after escaping from a prison van on Auckland's Southern Motorway.The prisoners got out near the Ellerslie-Panmure off-ramp yesterday afternoon while their van was heading to Mt Eden prison and then stole a member of the public's car.Police are now appealing to the public for help to find the trio - Zane Hepi, 24, Billy Fepulea'i, 43, and Joseph Ng Wun, 45.A "dedicated" team of officers was working on the search, police said."The men have connections across Counties Manukau and Auckland City."The men are considered dangerous and should not be approached - however, if you see them police urge you to call 111 immediately."Information can also be given anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.The Department of Corrections has launched a review into how the prisoners escaped.

It is still not clear which regions will be worst hit by Cyclone Gabrielle as it approaches New Zealand, weather forecasters say.The storm is due to track across Northland on Sunday before moving south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday.Forecasters are warning of strong wind, heavy rain and big seas.MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said the cyclone would bring widespread severe weather.The cyclone had taken a more eastern track over the last few days, but there was still disagreement over where the central point will lie when it made landfall, Ferris said."It's still looking like Monday-Tuesday are going to be the biggest days for the weather with the approaching cyclone. The worst impacts, where they are and when they occur, are still going to be riding on where the track of the cyclone actually eventuates."The storm is due to track across Northland on Sunday before moving south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday. It is possible that even Wellington could see some impacts, MetService said.It has been upgraded to category 3.MetService has issued heavy rain and strong wind watches ahead of its arrival.Meanwhile, the government is urging people to avoid non-essential travel in areas that could be hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.Air New Zealand is offering flight deferrals in affected areas, asking people to postpone air travel unless it was urgent.Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said safety trumped the disappointment of scrapping weekend plans."We would urge people, despite the inconvenience this would naturally cause, to heed that advice, because it is not given lightly. We are taking this very seriously. Depending on how this tracks it could be quite severe and we're just asking people to take it seriously."McAnulty said he had assurances government agencies and local civil defence services would update their social media channels regularly.People are also being urged to stock three days' worth of food and water and prepare for possible power outages.Supermarkets have urged shoppers to be patient as people stock up on essential supplies.St John Ambulance said it was scaling up in preparation for Cyclone Gabrielle.Spokesperson Dan Ohs said St John had increased deployments in Northland, Coromandel, Auckland, and Bay of Plenty.There would be extra ambulances and four wheel drives on the ground, he said."For us it looks like additional ambulances where that's relevant and in particular, four-wheel-drives. We're also in discussion with Wellington Free (Ambulance). Wellington Free have a rescue unit capability and four-wheel-drive resources."Parents in Auckland are likely to receive communication from their children's school this weekend about Cyclone Gabrielle.Yesterday, the Ministry of Education advised Auckland schools that they must decide individually whether to stay open or close in response to the storm.The decision would be based on schools' assessment of health and safety risk of their situation.A statement from the ministry said schools did not have to wait for direction from the secretary for education.However, the secretary did have power to close services based on information from emergency services.Auckland Secondary Principals Association President Greg Pierce said Covid-19 and the recent floods had prepared to schools to act quickly.Schools would keep families regularly updated on the storm, Pierce said.In Northland a number of maraes may be available as welfare centres when Cyclone Gabrielle hits the region.A health organisation based near Kaitaia, Whakawhiti Ora Pai, said it had been talking to maraes in the area.General manager Errol Murray said several marae are prepared to step in if needed, including Potahi Marae in Te Kao, Waiora Marae in Ngataki.Murray said the had also been doing welfare checks on vulnerable communities ahead of the cyclone, as well as preparing food packs and water.And an iwi in the far north said community support networks developed during the Covid-19 pandemic had made it more resilient to face sudden weather events.Te Runanganui o Te Aupouri chief executive Mariameno Kapa-kingi said they had already started doing welfare checks and stocked up on supplies and water ahead of the cyclone."We did a lot of this work ... communities (in Northland) are still very Covid-aware, right, so a lot of the work we did then is actually carried forward into capacity that we have today to deal with this."

Friday 10th FebruaryVineyards in the VillageMatakana Village Pub Meat Pack RaffleLive Music @ Matakana Village PubFiji Fridays @ SmithsSaturday 11th FebruaryMangawhai Tavern MarketMangawhai Community MarketThe Matakana MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketMixed Messages Saturday @ SmithsTHE AFTER -Asia Pacific Tour 2023 @ Puhoi PubSunday 12th FebruaryMatakana Country Park MarketSunday Sessions @ Leigh Sawmill CafeSunday Service @ Smiths

Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is tracking towards Aotearoa New Zealand. MetService is expecting a significant weather event with strong wind, heavy rain and large swell from Sunday 12 onwards. Warkworth regionFriday 10th Feb - Mainly fine. Cloud increasing with isolated showers developing this afternoon as southerlies turn easterly. Showers clearing late evening.Saturday 11th Feb - Partly cloudy. Clouding over in the afternoon, with a few showers developing in the evening, becoming more persistent at night. Easterlies, becoming strong in exposed places in the afternoon.Sunday 12th - Rain. Strong southeasterlies, rising to gale in exposed places north of the City.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 59hrs from 1am Sun, 12 Feb - noon Tue, 14 FebArea: Northland, and Auckland including Great Barrier IslandForecast: A period of significant heavy rain is possible from Sunday through to Tuesday, and rainfall amounts may reach 200 to 300 mm or more during this time. Note, the duration of the event and the amount of rain forecast is highly dependent on the track of Cyclone Gabrielle, and this Watch could be upgraded to an Orange or possibly Red warning in the coming days.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 60hrs from noon Sun, 12 Feb - midnight Tue, 14 FebArea: Northland, and Auckland north of Whangaparaoa including Great Barrier IslandForecast: A period of severe gales and damaging winds is possible from Sunday through to Tuesday. The winds should initially be from the east to southeast until Monday when the winds are forecast to change to the south or southwest. The duration of the event and the strength of the wind is highly dependent on the track of Cyclone Gabrielle. This Watch could be upgraded to an Orange or possibly Red warning in the coming days.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 54hrs from 6pm Sun, 12 Feb - midnight Tue, 14 FebArea: Auckland from Whangaparaoa southwards, and Coromandel PeninsulaForecast: A period of severe gales and damaging winds is possible from Sunday through to Tuesday. The winds should initially be from the east to southeast until late Monday or early Tuesday when the winds should change to the south or southwest. The duration of the event and the strength of the wind is highly dependent on the track of Cyclone Gabrielle. This Watch could be upgraded to an Orange or possibly Red warning in the coming days.Whangarei regionFriday 10th Feb - Fine, then becoming cloudier this afternoon. A few showers late evening. Light winds.Saturday 11th Feb - Partly cloudy, clouding over in the afternoon. A few showers, turning to rain in the evening. Easterlies, becoming brisk in the afternoon.Sunday 12th - Rain, heavy at times. Gale southeasterlies in exposed places.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 59hrs from 1am Sun, 12 Feb - noon Tue, 14 FebArea: Northland, and Auckland including Great Barrier IslandForecast: A period of significant heavy rain is possible from Sunday through to Tuesday, and rainfall amounts may reach 200 to 300 mm or more during this time. Note, the duration of the event and the amount of rain forecast is highly dependent on the track of Cyclone Gabrielle, and this Watch could be upgraded to an Orange or possibly Red warning in the coming days.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 60hrs from noon Sun, 12 Feb - midnight Tue, 14 FebArea: Northland, and Auckland north of Whangaparaoa including Great Barrier IslandForecast: A period of severe gales and damaging winds is possible from Sunday through to Tuesday. The winds should initially be from the east to southeast until Monday when the winds are forecast to change to the south or southwest. The duration of the event and the strength of the wind is highly dependent on the track of Cyclone Gabrielle. This Watch could be upgraded to an Orange or possibly Red warning in the coming days.

After being closed for 2 weeks the Brynderwyns on SH1 are no OPEN to BOTH directions. This includes oversized vehicles.Temporary speed restrictions will be in place, use caution and drive to the conditions.With Cyclone Gabrielle on the way this stretch of road will be closely monitored.The Matakana App will be posting traffic and roading updates throughout the weekend to keep you to up date.

MetService says it is unsure of the exact path of Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle as it approaches Aotearoa.The low-pressure system was named as Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology this afternoon.The tropical disturbance in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland developed into a category one cyclone today.MetService said the cyclone was likely to become a category three over the next 24 hours and could approach Northland late on Sunday."Although by the time it draws close to the top of the North Island it will have lost its tropical characteristics, it is still expected to be an intense weather system," MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said."Likely impacts of this system include heavy rain, gale force winds and large waves leading to dangerous coastal conditions for the upper North Island into early next week."A slight change in atmospheric conditions could influence its track and speed, which would affect its intensity and where it would hit, he said."This could affect some of the areas which have already seen significant impacts from recent weather events."Across the Tasman Sea, BOM said it was expected to produce "dangerous coastal conditions" along the southern and central Queensland coast over coming days.Norfolk Island in firing lineBOM's senior meteorologist Harry Clark said of all the areas of Australia, Norfolk Island was most likely to see some impacts from the cyclone.He said even if the system did not directly impact or come within 50km of the island, there would still be an increase in wind and waves."Particularly Saturday and into Sunday is likely when we could see that tropical cyclone move towards that region," he said."We could see some very large waves in excess of 5 metres across much of the island, but also see wind gusts approaching almost category two strength if it was to cross or come very close to the island."We could see some heavy rainfall as well."

Drone footage of the Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth Motorway project area from 17 January 2023, flying from Warkworth in the North to Pūhoi in the South. Pūhoi to Warkworth is the first stage of Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Wellsford.More information available on our website: www.nx2group.com

Notice of night works along Mahurangi East Road

At the Southern Connection extended overnight closures are planned at Johnstones Hill Tunnels both directions during February and March 2023 to complete the final road surfacing, chip sealing, barrier installation, line marking and signage.Northbound SH1 closures between Silverdale to Johnstones Hill Tunnels (JHT). Detours will be in place via Hibiscus Coast Highway, from 9pm to 5am.• Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 February• Sunday 19 to Thursday 23 February• Sunday 26 February to Thursday 2 March• Sunday 5 to Thursday 9 MarchWhile the northbound closure is in place, traffic will detour along Hibiscus Coast Highway (HCH). A stop/go operation will be in place on HCH to manage traffic safely.Over Dimension vehicles will be assisted through the site via our traffic management team. Heavy vehicles are advised to take State Highway 16.Southbound SH1 closure between Pūhoi to the JHT. Detours will be in place via Hibiscus Coast Highway, from 9pm to 5am.• Wednesday 15 February and Thursday 16 February• Sunday 19 to Thursday 23 February• Sunday 26 February to Thursday 2 March• Sunday 5 to Thursday 9 March• Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 MarchAdditional to these night-time road closures, there may be new road layout changes needed in the south to complete the final tie-in works around the JHT. We will update you once we have more information. These works are being coordinated alongside closures at Dome Valley for maintenance as both teams are again working together to get as much work done with the least possible disruption.As the Dome Valley works will close SH1 from Hudson Road, Warkworth through to Wellsford (Wed 8 Feb to Thu 23 Feb) our Northern Connection team will be working a few nights within their two-week closure to complete paving and other finishing works.

Listening to music you enjoy – and especially music that you've chosen – can help alleviate chronic pain, according to new research.Music has been used as a pain therapy for decades, says University of London psychology professor Claire Howlin, but she and her colleagues wanted to better understand how it works.'We know that [music can reduce pain] for some people in some circumstances but we wanted to know what was really behind this," she tells Nathan Rarere.Photo: 123rfIn Howlin's study – the first to look at how music can affect chronic pain – 286 adults experiencing real-world, acute pain rated their pain levels before and after listening to a music track.The results showed listening to a piece of music you really dislike won't help your experience of pain at all.The best music for relieving the intensity of their pain is what you personally choose or believe you've chosen.Music that alleviates pain doesn't have to be of a certain type, Howlin says.High-tempo and low-tempo versions of the same song had an equal effect on participants, she says, and some had great relief from pain when listening to heavy metal, heavy rock and fast-paced dance music.The experience of music and the experience of pain both have a lot of emotional and personal components, Howlin says and both take up quite a large proportion of our brains. It seems hearing music de-intensifies the sensation of pain because our brains can't focus on both experiences at once, she says.'When you're really focused on your favourite music it reduces your brain's processing capacity for the pain so it's very difficult for [the experience of both pain and music] to be happening at the same time in your brain. So you're kind of switching it to focus on this more positive energy.'You still might be aware of physical sensation but may be able to feel it's more positive."In the future, we may hear music at doctor's offices and pharmacies – something The College of London is now experimenting with, Howlin says."No point in telling people 'this will be good for your health' unless people can get access to it. So [music is] the next frontier for public health."

Warkworth regionMonday 6th February - Showers, easing for a time this morning, then becoming confined to the west by evening as fine spells develop. Northerlies, turning southwesterly late afternoon.Tuesday 7th - Mainly fine. Southwesterlies.Wednesday 8th - Mainly fine, isolated showers developing. Southwesterlies, becoming fresh.Thursday 9th - Partly cloudy with fresh southwesterlies.Friday 10th - Partly cloudy with southwesterlies.Mangawhai regionMonday 6th February - Showers, easing for a time this morning but possibly heavy this afternoon, clearing by evening. Light winds and afternoon northwesterlies.Tuesday 7th - Fine breaks. Light winds.Wednesday 8th - Fine. Southwesterlies.Thursday 9th - Partly cloudy with southwesterlies.Friday 10th - Partly cloudy. Southwesterlies.