20/04/2026
Information from our council.
📢 Please see the most recent post from 22 April for the latest update.
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*Update at 6am, Wednesday 22 April*
🚧 SH2 Remutaka Hill Road is OPEN
🚧 Access via Longbush road is open but please drive cautiously through the area ahead of crews cleaning up
🚧 All other road closures remain in place
The next update will be shared later this morning.
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*Update at 9pm, Tuesday 21 April*
🚧 LONGBUSH ROAD ACCESS – restrict travel via Longbush Road unless essential.
A slip that occurred on Longbush Road this afternoon has been cleared however there is surface flooding on the road around the South Wairarapa-Carterton boundary. The road is passable but we are strongly advising the community to restrict travel overnight to essential travel only, and drive cautiously through the area, indicated by 30kmph signs at the site.
The SH53 Waihenga bridge, Lower Valley bridge on Kahutara Road, and the Ponatahi bridge remain closed, impacting the alternative routes in or out of Martinborough.
✅ The South Wairarapa Council website and social media will be kept up to date when information is available. This may not be until daylight hours tomorrow morning.
📞 Report urgent issues overnight via 06 306 9611
📞 Call 111 immediately if there is a risk to life
HEAVY RAIN WARNING UPDATE - Orange warnings lifted for the Wairarapa region 🌧️
All the Heavy Rain Warnings for the region have now been lifted following the latest update from MetService. Light to moderate rain or showers will continue to affect the region into Thursday.
Please find other relevant advice and information below 👇
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*Update at 5pm, Tuesday 21 April*
Kia ora South Wairarapa.
🚨 The state of emergency remains in place for parts of the Wellington region, including all of Wairarapa, while damage, needs, building safety, and recovery assessments continue.
The state of emergency gives responders the powers and coordination needed to keep people safe, support evacuations where required, and manage impacts across the region. These powers are used only where necessary and are proportionate to the risk.
🟠 The Orange Heavy Rain Warning for Wairarapa remains in place until 9pm.
People are encouraged to stay informed and safe by keeping up to date with official information from MetService, Wellington Region Emergency Management Office, local council channels, and local media.
We will continue to post updates, including to road closures, to this post and our website here: https://swdc.govt.nz/notices-and-updates/severe-weather-forecast-20-21-april-2026/
🚧 ROAD CLOSURES
- Ponatahi bridge over the Huangarua river is CLOSED - Alt route via Longbush
- SH53 Waihenga bridge is CLOSED - Alt route via Longbush
- Lower Valley bridge on Kahutara Road is CLOSED - Alt route via Longbush
- Te Rata Road in Pirinoa CLOSED
- Raho Ruru Road in Pirinoa CLOSED
- White Rock Road at Tuturumuri is CLOSED
- Haurangi Road at Ruakōkoputuna is CLOSED
- Kahutara Road CLOSED at Oporua spillway
COUNCIL SERVICES FOR 22/04/26
ℹ️ Council's reception at Kitchener Street in Martinborough will remain CLOSED Wednesday 22 April.
📞 Our Customer Service team will still be able to help with any enquiries. Please email [email protected] or phone 06 306 9611.
✅ The three South Wairarapa Libraries will be OPEN as usual on Wednesday 22 April.
♻️ Rubbish and recycling kerbside collection for Martinborough is scheduled to go ahead as usual – but this may change depending on the weather conditions and access to the town. Please do not put your rubbish and recycling out if you do not need to, and be prepared to bring it back in if the collections are cancelled. We will advise of an alternative day for collections if this happens.
Please find other relevant advice and information below 👇
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Good morning South Wairarapa,
⚠️ We experienced some quite harsh weather overnight, but are relieved that modelling of river flows reduced as the night went on. This meant we avoided much of the flooding that was initially predicted.
It isn't over yet though. The orange rain warning for Wairarapa remains in place until 9pm tonight (Tuesday 21 April). We are still likely to see more rain, surface flooding and poor conditions throughout the day.
Our teams will be out assessing the damage and impacts of the weather overnight, and we will continue to provide updates as the information is known. This will take time, so please be patient with our teams as we work through our district.
🚧 ROAD CLOSURES
- Now being updated above
ℹ️️ COUNCIL SERVICES
- Council reception at Kitchener Street will be CLOSED Tuesday 21 April. Please reach us via email ([email protected]) or phone 06 306 9611.
- All three South Wairarapa Libraries will be CLOSED Tuesday 21 Apri
👉 STAY INFORMED
Weather conditions and advice can change quickly. Please keep up to date with official sources for warnings and updates.
- Visit the SWDC website for local road closures and other weather-related information: https://swdc.govt.nz/notices-and-updates/severe-weather-forecast-20-21-april-2026/
- Tune in to Breeze Wairarapa 99.9FM or RNZ (101.5FM / 567AM).
- Visit https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home for the latest weather information and warnings.
- Follow Wellington Region Emergency Management Office for situation updates. The WREMO website has more info on household preparedness: https://www.wremo.nz/get-ready
- Follow NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi - Wellington for highway disruptions.
- Check in on Powerco for power outages - https://outages.powerco.co.nz/
📞 REPORT DAMAGE
If there is damage or flooding in your area, you can report it by:
- Calling the Council on 06 306 9611
- Lodging a report through the Antenno app: https://swdc.govt.nz/services/antenno/
