12:00 AM Sun 15 February 2026
Description of situation
- There are multiple weather watches and warnings across our region.
- MetService has issued a red-level severe weather warning for Manawatū, Rangitīkei and Ruapehu districts north of Feilding and east of State Highway 1. Expect 140 to 180mm of rain from 6pm tonight until 2pm Monday.
- Orange-level rain warnings are in place for the Tararua District, south-western Ruapehu and northern Whanganui, while Tararua District also has a strong wind warning in place.
- Waterways across the region are expected to rise significantly as rain falls during the night. This includes the Manawatū, Makino, Pohagina, Ōroua, Rangitīkei, Turakina and Whangaehu rivers.
- It is highly likely there will be landslides across the region.
- MetService has described the event as “significant and dangerous” and people should take precautionary measures immediately.
Declaration status
- Tararua District Council have declared a pre-emptive state of emergency for the entire district. This declaration enables TDC and emergency services to act quickly and coordinate resources if conditions worsen.
What’s being done?
- Agencies across the region are coordinating their response, with staff in the Group Emergency Coordination Centre set to work throughout the night.
- Tōtara Reserve in Pohagina Valley has been closed.
- Campers at other campgrounds are being warned about the weather.
Public safety/health instructions
- People should take this weather event seriously and prepare while there is daylight.
- If in doubt, get out – this applies to people and stock. You are best to pre-emptively evacuate areas during daylight, rather than waiting for conditions to worsen overnight.
- Avoid any unessential travel. If you have travelled for the weekend and plan to return home later tonight, either bring forward your travel plans or look for somewhere to stay overnight.
- Never, ever try to walk, play, swim or drive in flood water.
Important information
- State Highway 56 at Ōpiki is likely to become impassable early Monday morning due to flooding.
- State Highway 3 at Whangaehu is likely to become impassable overnight due to flooding.
- On current forecasts, Horizons Regional Council will need to operate the Makino floodgates at Feilding and the Moutoa floodgates on the Manawatū River overnight.
Next update
We will send more updates throughout the evening. Past updates are available via our website https://www.mwcdem.govt.nz/.
For details of weather watches and warnings, see https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home.