Rachel Kelleher, left, and Desley Simpson provide the latest on Auckland's weather emergency. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton
Auckland Emergency Management says 30 teams will be on the ground making inspections as the region remains in a local state of emergency after torrential rain caused flooding and transport havoc.
Watch the latest Auckland Emergency Management update here:
AEM deputy controller Rachel Kelleher said the city remained in a state of local emergency, however, that did not mean schools were closed.
Those that were would contact parents directly, she said.
Despite signficant rainfall on Tuesday emergency services coped well, she said.
The council had received 39 requests for help overnight while FENZ handled a "handful" of callouts for flood related matters.
All watches/warnings for Auckland lifted at 9.15pm.
"It is going to be a a windy and showery day for Auckland, but these are passing showers," Kelleher said.
Wind gusts of more than 80km/h might cause some disruption for traffic on the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Auckland Transport said travel is back to normal today, all trains are running apart from the Eastern Line which is affected by KiwiRail's work.
Ferries are running to normal timetables, with just a few services cancelled.
All roads are open, but some may have surface flooding, Kelleher said.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said there will need to be conversations held with Auckland Transport over the chaos for commuters on Tuesday.
Peak demand had occurred at an off-peak time once people were asked to head home early.
The system did not work as well as it could have and the shortage of bus drivers was a factor, Simpson said.
Very few people needed to stay at Civil Defence shelters overnight, so most are now closed.
All rivers except the Ohio are receding, Kelleher said.
Damage assessments a priority
The focus will shift today to assessing damage.
Thirty rapid assessment teams will be on the ground checking buildings.
It is estimated around 120 properties need to be inspected, but that list may grow.
Anyone needing an inspection should contact the council.
Watercare says tap water remains safe, and there are no widespread outages or issues.
Wastewater has been overwhelmed with rainwater. "This is causing some overflows across the region which are being monitored."
Simpson said she spent most of the night at the AEM centre and she praised the work carried out there.
She also thanked Aucklanders for heeding warnings and being patient in the "tricky conditions" getting home.
Most areas across the region were hit by rainfall of up to 35mm an hour, causing flooding across some roads and creating gridlock on main routes.
Weather warnings have been lifted, but Auckland Emergency Management Duty Controller Parul Sood said on Tuesday evening that even as the weather improved, not all streams and rivers have reached their peak.
"Some waterways may still be rising even though the rain has eased. Any more heavy rain could cause surface and/or flash flooding around streams, gullies, and urban areas.
"Please remember to keep away from waterways and floodwaters," Sood said.