Ruapehu District Council has maintained its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on standby as a precaution heading into the Labour Weekend, with weather systems forecast either side of the holiday period.
Local Ruapehu Civil Defence is being supported by the Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence Emergency Management Group in Palmerston North, which has stepped up resourcing in its Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC).
Council has also been liaising with partner agencies, iwi, and contractors to ensure they are ready to respond should conditions worsen.
Rain expected overnight but not forecast to impact recent flood-hit areas
Civil Defence Controller Clive Manley said a Heavy Rain Watch is in place for Tongariro National Park from 3pm to 11pm today (23 Oct), with a moderate chance of escalation to a warning.
"The heaviest rain is expected from this evening through to early tomorrow morning, with peaks around 10pm.
The good news is that current modelling suggests the northern areas most impacted by the recent floods - Ongarue, Ōhura, Ōkahukura, and Waimiha - are not expected to experience significant impacts from this front," said Mr Manley.
"While up to 50mm is forecast in those areas, strong wind flow is expected to help push the front through quickly."
Long weekend weather outlook
The forecast for Saturday is for a minimal risk of severe weather with Sunday seeing strong westerly flow spreads over all of New Zealand.
Monday is forecast to see a complex trough of low pressure move from over the Tasman Sea onto central New Zealand.
MetService currently holds low confidence for significant heavy rain over the Central North Island headwaters, and low confidence for severe north-west gales across the North Island on Monday.
"Ruapehu Civil Defence will be watching conditions closely throughout the long weekend and is prepared to activate if required," said Mr Manley.
Get ready - get thru
While Ruapehu looks likely to avoid the worst of the current weather systems, residents are still being urged to plan and prepare.
"We recommend every household is prepared to be self-sufficient for up to three days," said Mr Manley.
"Having a household plan and enough supplies if you're stuck at home or cut off is the key to successfully getting through.
You probably already have most of what you need -- but in an emergency you may need to find it quickly, possibly in the dark.
Don't forget that you and your neighbours can help each other by sharing supplies too.
By looking after yourself and your household, you'll also be helping emergency services focus their limited resources on the people who need the most help.
Easy to use resources are available online to help make your planning easier at the getready.govt.nz and civildefence.govt.nz websites."
Caution urged for travellers and holidaymakers
With more people on the roads over the long holiday weekend, Civil Defence advises:
* Avoid unnecessary travel
* If driving, take extreme care and watch for surface flooding, debris, and rapidly changing conditions
* Check NZTA's Journey Planner before long-distance travel
* Report local road issues to Council on 07 895 8188
* Be mindful that high winds can be dangerous for campervans, high-sided vehicles and motorcycles
* Campers and trampers should be weather-ready and monitor rivers and streams that can rise quickly
Stay informed - report any issues
"We will be monitoring conditions throughout the long weekend, with staff on-call if needed," said Mr Manley.
"People can keep up to date with any key information on this weather event on the Ruapehu and Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence Facebook pages, and via news outlets.
If life or property is at risk, call 111 immediately.
For local Council issues, including road problems, phone 07 895 8188."