Midday Report

Much of the Upper North Island is being battered by high winds, rain and thunderstorms.

Further south in Tāmaki Makaurau Metservice said a line of severe thunderstorms  made its way from Marsden Point, southeast over Ruakaka and Henderson to sit above Wellsford and Auckland from Midday.

Sunnyvale School in west Auckland has posted on social media, asking parents to come and get their children quickly, as surrounding streets are flooding.

Rachel Kelleher is the Deputy Controller for Auckland Emergency Management and spoke to Max Towle.

A packed crowd at Windsor Castle has been watching a music concert as part of King Charles' coronation celebrations.

It wraps up a weekend of more relaxed festivities, after Saturday night's very formal ceremony.

Prince William welcomed the thousands watching by paying tribute to his grandmother, and father.

Also watching was RNZ Tahi presenter Evie Orpe who spoke to Max Towle.

A Pacific Studies professor says focusing on overstayer amnesty is just a distraction from Dawn Raids still being used to target people.

There was a fiery meeting at the weekend about Immigration still knocking on doors at all hours.

Despite a government apology two years ago about the practices used in the 1970's,

Immigration has recorded 18 or 19 so-called 'compliance visits' or 'dawn raids' in the past year.

University of Auckland, Pacific Studies senior lecturer Dr Melani Anae told Max Towle the Immigration Minister was being too hasty - talking about amnesties.

News from the rural farming sector

Midday sports News for 8 May 2023

 New Zealand has finished second in the grand final of the SailGP series in San Francisco.

News from the business sector

A budget advisor in south Auckland says buy now - pay later schemes are an addictive problem for those struggling to cope with the cost of living.

The latest figures show a record 10-and-a-half per cent of buy- now pay- later customers were in debt at the end of March.

Carla McMaster is a financial mentor at Papakura Budgeting Service and spoke to Max Towle.

An Auckland school where a student and a family member tested positive for measles hopes to reopen tomorrow.

Classes at Albany Senior High School are online for Monday, and a testing clinic is setup on site for the minority who aren't immune among the 1000 staff and students.

No new cases were found over the weekend. Max Towle spoke to Claire Amos.

Te Pati Māori is questioning whether the High Commissioner to the UK's lack of recognition for the Kiingitanga was a simple faux pas.

The High Commissioner to the UK, Phil Goff, offended Kiingi Tuheitia, at an event for the New Zealand delegation in London this morning.

Mr Goff apparently forgot to perform a karakia to open the event at the High Commission, and then went on to say that no one in the room had experienced a coronation before.

The kiingitanga chief of staff, Ngira Simmonds blasted the delegation for being "dismissive" of Kiingi Tuheitia's mana and tikanga Māori.

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Phil Goff later apologised for not following protocol.

Rahui Papa, who's a spokesperson, kaikoorero mo te Kiingi, for Kiingi Tuheitia, spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Supermarket giants Foodstuffs and Woolworths New Zealand have lost a long-running legal battle to prevent Auckland Council imposing stricter sale times for alcohol.

After eight years of court cases and appeals, the Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed the appeals.

Today's decision means that in Auckland, alcohol will not be sold past nine o'clock in the evening at off-license stores such as supermarkets and bottle stores - two hours earlier than currently permitted.

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RNZ reporter Amy Williams spoke to Charlotte Cook.