Stuff
Roads may be icy in spots in the South Island, and a severe thunderstorm warning may bring ‘very heavy’ rain to the western North Island on Monday, as holidaymakers head home from King’s Birthday weekend.
Traffic is starting to build in hotspots across Auckland’s motorway network as holidaymarkers return home after the long King’s Birthday weekend.
Congestion is building in the early afternoon at the Hill St intersection at Warkworth, and along SH1 at Drury and Bombay, Google Maps traffic data shows.
Traffic is also slow about Horsham Downs, north of Hamilton.
Coming back into Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau), Waka Kotahi’s journey planner says State Highway 1 between Puhoi and Wellsford, southbound, is due to see the heaviest traffic between 1pm and 1.30pm.
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Meanwhile, people are being told to keep “extra safe” if driving home after the long weekend due to slippery roads and poor visibility.
A crash on Auckland’s Southern Motorway earlier blocked the middle and left northbound lanes, just after the Princes St on-ramp, due to a crash about 11.25am.
MetService is advising that there’s been “lots of wet weather” across the North Island.
While there’s less rain to worry about if you’re travelling in inland and western South Island, roads could still be icy in some spots on Monday morning, it says.
Heading north from Manukau to Bombay, traffic is forecast to be heaviest between 12.30-1.30pm, as of 10.30am.
Traffic headed southbound on SH1 at Kawakawa (South of Paihia/Bay of Islands) is expected to be heaviest between 10.30am and 12.30pm.
As of 11am, traffic appeared to be free-flowing across Auckland’s motorway network, Google Maps shows.
Heading into Wellington, traffic on SH2 at Remutaka Hill, between Wellington and Featherston (southbound) is set to be busiest for 11.30am and 5.30pm.
SH2 between Silverstream and Upper Hutt is set to be busy from 11.30 to 5.30pm, and heaviest between 2 and 4.30pm.
MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Coromandel Peninsula, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay from 6pm on Monday to 6pm Tuesday, and a severe thunderstorm watch for Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty.
SUPPLIED/Stuff
A crash on State Highway 1 blocked the left northbound lane just after Princes St on-ramp about lunchtime on Monday.
At Waipara (SH1), north of Canterbury, traffic is expected to be busy between 11.30am and 4.30pm, and heaviest from 1.30-5.30pm.
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Western Bay of Plenty and Matamata Piako. These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by “very heavy” rain.
Very heavy rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, making driving conditions “extremely hazardous”.