Rain dump brings down slip near Waihau Bay turnoff

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Monday night’s rain proved the region’s roads are vulnerable to further rain on top of what the year has already delivered.

The weather system put on a show of thunder and lightning on the hills inland of Tolaga Bay and the rain saw the Hikuwai River rise to just over 6 metres in the space of a few hours.

The passing front dumped heavy rain over the top part of the East Coast, from Tolaga Bay north, and brought down a  large slip on SH35 between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay.

The slip blocked the entire road near the Waihau Bay turnoff, and a stop-go system was in place while clearing work was under way.

With soil moisture levels at capacity or surplus, more slips and road damage are a given with the wettest months yet to come.

In the past seven days the Raukumara Range has received steady rain, totalling over 211 millimetres at Raukumara Station, where over 170mm had fallen in the 24 hours up to 8.30 yesterday morning.

Over 100mm fell over much of the East Cape area in the same period, 60 to 80mm plus over the Ruatoria to Tolaga Bay region, and far lesser amounts further south.

The gauge at Tokomaru Bay School recorded 98mm in  24 hours to yesterday morning.