Civil Defence Waikato

31/05/2026

***update 5.50pm 1 June: Waikato Regional Council Flood Room is now in monitoring mode. To see what the impacts for river levels, flows and catchments are for your area of the Waikato, visit:
Waikatoregion.govt.nz/flood-room***

⚠️ Waikato weather update ⚠️

🌧️ Rain is forecast to develop across Waikato today, becoming heavier overnight and into tomorrow (Tuesday).

🟡 There are a number of wind and rain watches in place across the Waikato region, with severe weather warnings active in neighbouring regions.

🚗 With the long weekend coming to an end, expect busy roads.

Please take care if you’re travelling:

👉 Slow down and drive to the conditions
👉 Watch for surface flooding and reduced visibility
👉 Increase your following distance

Stay up to date with the latest here:

metservice.com/warnings/home

journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions

26/05/2026

🐮Bessie the cow has udderly no idea what’s happening. One minute she’s minding her business, the next she’s wearing a toy car and starring in a viral moment she did not plan for.

Emergencies can feel a lot like that — sudden, confusing, and completely out of your control.

Don’t be like Bessie. 🐮

Having a preparedness plan means you’re not caught off guard. You know what to do, where to go, and how to keep the people (and pets!) you care about safe.

👉🏽A plan gives you confidence.
👉🏽A plan gives you some control.

💪🏽Take a few minutes today to get prepared. getready.govt.nz

12/05/2026

🎒📚 The Get Ready Schools Challenge is BACK — and we reckon Waikato can smash it!

Last year more than 66,000 tamariki (children) around Aotearoa New Zealand jumped into the Get Ready Schools Challenge… that’s a lot of brainpower. Think we can beat it this year? Absolutely we can. Waikato never backs down from a challenge.

The challenge is packed with eight fun, hands‑on activities that help kids learn about hazards, emergencies, escape plans, and what to do when things get shaky or stormy. It’s learning — but the cool kind.

So, if you’ve got tamariki (children) at home, in the whānau (family), or just in your general orbit, give them a nudge to chat with their kaiako (teacher) about signing up. The more kids involved, the more prepared our communities become… and did we mention there are epic prizes up for grabs?

👉 More info: https://getready.govt.nz/involved/schools-challenge

11/05/2026

🩳👖Today we acknowledge No Pants Day - so will keep this brief 😜

Celebrating No Pants Day is great… until you have to evacuate your house at 2am. 🏃

A spare set of clothes in your emergency grab bag can make a world of difference, that way you won't be caught out when it matters most.

For tips on how to pack your emergency grab bag, head to getready.govt.nz so you’re never left without your… ahem… essentials.

Hope our post isn't too cheeky...

05/05/2026

Well…earth just gave a little shimmy 💃

An M5.6 followed by an M4.2 (weak) earthquake near Te Kaha gave parts of our region a gentle nudge — not a problem, but definitely a “remember your training” moment.
When the ground does its thing:

👉 Drop, Cover, Hold (not “run around like a startled chook”)

👉 Stay where you are — no bonus points for going outside

👉 Expect a possible aftershock… because earthquakes love an encore.

04/05/2026

It's Sign Language Week - and the theme is 'An Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere.' Check out this awesome collaboration between NZ Civil Defence, Deaf Aotearoa, and Auckland Emergency Management.

This week is New Zealand Sign Language Week. This year is all about 'An Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere'.

Signing anywhere means in emergencies too. That's why in 2022 we teamed up with Deaf Aotearoa and Auckland Emergency Management to create a booklet of 25 signs to learn for emergencies.

Learn important signs for an emergency like:
🏃‍➡️ evacuate
🌊 tsunami
⛰️ go to high ground
🥫 food

Check out the booklet at https://ow.ly/l6ZT50Vq8bz

03/05/2026

May the 4th be with you!

It’s sunny today… but strong winds will return. And when they do, they come in hotter than the opening crawl of The Empire Strikes Back.

This is a reminder to secure your trampoline when bad weather is expected before it decides to join the sequel, and the bouncing missile starts an intergalactic war with the neighbours.

30/04/2026

Waikato, are we all okay?

The sky is… blue.
The ground is… dry.
The sun is… shining.

If you’re feeling confused, disoriented, or unsure how to behave in these conditions, you’re not alone.

Suggested coping strategies:

💃 Step outside cautiously

😎 Absorb Vitamin D responsibly

🩲Get your un**es washed and dried

🍰 Invite the neighbours over for an outside tea party

🎒Use this rare weather window to check your emergency kit

🌲 Trim those trees and loose branches back

Stay strong out there, who knows how long this rare phenomenon will last.

21/04/2026

Today we acknowledge National Pet Day, which means we celebrate the four‑legged chaos gremlins who run our homes - kidding, we totally love them.

But in a real emergency, even the bravest cat or most confident dog can get spooked and run. Microchipping (and keeping your details current) gives you the best chance of finding them again.

And because disasters don’t wait politely while you pack: pre‑pack your pet’s food, water, medications, and essentials in your to‑go bag — right alongside the human stuff. If you need to leave fast, you’ll be grateful it’s all ready to grab.

Let’s protect every member of the family — even the ones who think a bath is a disaster situation.

Learn more about pet preparedness. https://getready.govt.nz/prepared/household/tailor-your-plan/pets-and-animals

(Actually, National Pet Day was earlier this month - but you know, there was a cyclone coming, so we had other posting priorities - however this message was too important to just skip).

20/04/2026

***update 8am 22 April. The road snowfall warning for Desert Road (SH1) has been lifted. Drive carefully and to the conditions everyone. Follow metservice.com for more information on watches and warnings and download their app to get notifications direct to your phone.***

***update 8.30pm Tuesday 21 April. By now many of you will have seen just what SH1 Desert Road looks like (courtesy NZTA Waka Kotahi). If not, check out the comments section. This warning has been extended to 7am Wednesday 22 April.***

Sorry guys - just when things couldn't get more interesting weather wise - MetService New Zealand have issued a road snowfall warning for Desert Road (SH1).

Vaid until 11pm today. Learn more at www.metservice.com/warnings/home

Rain, falling as snow down to 1000 metres. Expect a small amount (1 to 2 cm) to accumulate on the road about the summit at times.

Take care on the roads and drive to conditions.