Good morning, West Coasters,

Our good weather has come to an end!🌧️

MetService New Zealand has issued an Orange Rain Warning for Buller and Grey, and a Yellow Rain Watch for Westland.

See warning information below:

🟠 Heavy Rain Warning - Orange
Area: Ranges of Buller and Grey Districts
Period: 18hrs from 3:00pm Saturday to 9:00am Sunday
Forecast: Expect 90 to 120 mm of rain. Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h expected Saturday night and Sunday morning. Thunderstorms possible Sunday morning.
Minimal chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.
Action: Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.

Issued: 10:01am Friday, 21st August 2026
Next Update: 9:00pm Friday, 21st August 2026

🟡 Heavy Rain Watch - Yellow
Area: Ranges of Westland District
Period: 24hrs from 9:00am Saturday to 9:00am Sunday
Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Thunderstorms possible Sunday morning.
Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.

Issued: 10:01am Friday, 21st August 2026
Next Update: 9:00pm Friday, 21st August 2026

Action advice supplied by the National Emergency Management Agency.

Morning West Coasters,
Please see Met Service have issued a wave warning for this weekend. All coastal areas North of Hokitika are in the warning area. Please plan accordingly and take care if interacting with our coastal areas.

Message #4 Issued 23:26 16 July 2026

Message No: 3

Issued 22:01 16 July 2026

This message is current and replaces all/any previous messages for this event.

UPDATE: This advisory represents a DOWNGRADE from WARNING. The reason for this downgrade is because the magnitude of the earthquake has been revised down to M5.9

NATIONAL ADVISORY: TSUNAMI ACTIVITY – EXPECT STRONG AND UNUSUAL CURRENTS AND UNPREDICTABLE SURGES AT THE SHORE
We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following a magnitude 5.9 earthquake near 40 km north of Te Anau at 2026-07-16 09:14 PM.

Strong currents and surges can injure and drown people. There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to shore.

People in or near the sea in the following areas should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries.

AREAS UNDER THREAT:
The West Coast of the South Island from MILFORD SOUND to PUYSEGUR POINT.

ADVICE FOR PEOPLE IN AREAS UNDER THREAT:
STAY OFF THE BEACHES AND SHORE AREAS

People on boats, live-aboards and at marinas should leave their boats/vessels and move onto shore. Do not return to boats unless instructed by officials.

There is no need to evacuate other areas unless directly advised by local civil defence authorities. Coastal inundation (flooding of land areas near the shore) is not expected as a result of this event. We are advising people to:

Move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries.

Do not go to the coast to watch the unusual wave activity as there may be dangerous and unpredictable surges.

Listen to local civil defence authorities and follow any instructions.

Share this information with family, neighbours and friends.

Strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges will continue for several hours and the threat must be regarded as real until this Advisory is cancelled.

This National Advisory has been issued following an assessment of information available. The situation may change as new information becomes available. Listen to the radio or TV for updates, or check www.civildefence.govt.nz

END OF MESSAGE