Severe weather Wairarapa continues, 16 February

UPDATE 16 February 10.45am

Road Closures

• Te Wharau Road
• Remutaka hill
• Cape Palliser Road
• Ponatahi Bridge
• White Rock Road
• Opaki-Kaiparoro Road near Mauriceville
• Daniell Street
• Lake Ferry Road
• Waihakeke Road

Parks & Reserves Closed
Due to Severe Weather All Carterton parks and reserves are closed until further notice because of storm impacts. This includes Memorial Square and the Carterton Cemetery. The Parks team is assessing damage, with hazards such as fallen trees and hanging branches across multiple areas. Please avoid all parks and reserves for your safety. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

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Severe weather Wairarapa, Sunday 15 February Feb 15, 2026

Civil Emergency, News Wairarapa residents should be prepared for potentially severe impacts of rain, wind, and swell warnings in place from Sunday, 15 February to Monday, 16 February.

People living near waterways with experience of flooding should consider evacuating during daylight.

Current forecasts are for rain to impact the coastal hills, from Cape Palliser north, including Tuturumuri, Tora, Flat Point, Riversdale, Castlepoint, Tinui, and Mataikona.

The peak of the storm is likely to arrive around 9pm Sunday.

The combination of rain and wind raises the likelihood of road closures through slips and fallen trees.

In Martinborough, the Waihenga, Ponatahi, and Tuhitarata [also known as Kahutara] bridges are likely to closed due to high water levels expected around 4am, Monday.

Anyone needing guaranteed access to larger centres for medical or other important appointments should consider taking steps today to travel in daylight before the height of the storm.

Unnecessary travel should be avoided.

• Be prepared for extended power cuts
• Be prepared with extra water stored at home
• Clear gutters and driveways/culverts to allow water to flow into drains.

Keep up to date 

• Metservice Masterton Weather Forecast |MetService NZTA (roadclosures)
• Highway conditions for Wellington | NZTA Journey Planner PowerCo re power outages
• Outage Map
• Call 111 if an emergency
• Report roading issues and slips through our Service Request form or call 06 379 4030.

Rain

• Rainfall of 140-180mm over 12 hours is likely to be equivalent to serious storm events of the past, with a peak expected at around 9pm tonight.
• Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions are possible.
• Stock should be moved to higher ground.

Wind

• From 6pm Sunday to 9am Monday severe gale southwesterlies up to 130 km/h in exposed places are forecast.
• Damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures is possible. Driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
• The Remutaka Hill road would be expected to be closed if winds reach 130km/h in the area.

Swells

Swells are expected to reach 6.5-7m on the south and east coasts between 6pm Sunday and 12 noon tomorrow (Monday).