An orange heavy rain warning was already in place, but then it was extended, with the official weather agency warning the rain was going to be prolonged and more than earlier estimated. By midday it was saying, “prolonged rain, expected to be heavy at times, through to 12pm on Sunday”.
At 3.26pm, MetService upgraded its heavy rain warning from orange to red for Tairāwhiti in consultation with the District Council.
A MetService red warning is the highest severe weather warning and indicates that people must take immediate action to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services.
The red warning for heavy rain is in force through to Sunday morning, with the heaviest rain expected yesterday and again from this evening to Sunday.
In an advisory issued at 5pm yesterday MetService said 200-300mm of rain was expected to accumulate about and north of Tolaga Bay, 100-150 mm of rain about the ranges further south, and 50-100 mm of rain about coastal areas south of Tolaga Bay. These amounts were in addition to the rain that had already fallen.
“Thunderstorms are also possible with peak rainfall rates of 15-25 mm/h.”
Yesterday dawned with flooding, slips and road closures once again on the menu. The Waioeka Gorge SH2 highway had one lane blocked at Otoko, before the highway from Te Karaka to Matawai was closed to traffic at 11.30am.
Flooding in various places closed the SH35 Coast road to the communities north of Gisborne overnight Wednesday. Waka Kotahi then closed the road between Okitu and Ruatoria at 3pm yesterday due to flooding at several sites.
A total of 61 local roads were affected with over 30 closed, by slips or flooding.
By midday, much of the region north of Gisborne had had over 200mm in the past few days. The council gauge at Raukumara Station recorded over 400mm in the days up to midday.
Over Gisborne city and the surrounding flats and hill country some 200mm or more had fallen, with similar amounts in the Whareratas, and south to Wairoa.
Astonishing amounts fell in just 24 hours to midday yesterday, with many hill country gauges measuring from 100mm, to almost 210mm at Raukumara Station, in those 24 hours.
From Tolaga Bay south, most locations have had at least 100mm.
Everywhere, rivers rose rapidly. By midday the Waikohu River inland from Gisborne was nearing the 10-metre mark — as high as it has been recently — while the Wharekopae River rose past 7m.
The Hikuwai River at Tolaga Bay also passed the 8-metre mark by midday and was expected to reach 10m.
Gisborne’s Waipaoa River was expected to peak short of the 8m mark.
From Wednesday night on, MetService issued a string of weather updates, each one more serious than the last.
As for the next few days, MetService says on Saturday there is high confidence of warning amounts for Gisborne and much of Hawke’s Bay, while on Sunday there is “moderate confidence of warning amounts of rain”.
“Further rain on Tuesday is likely to affect many North Island areas.”
■ I moved to Gisborne as a radio journalist in 1979 and had my first real taste of what the weather gods could deliver in 1985, with the Ngatapa weather bomb.
Until then, droughty summers were the main feature and severe weather warnings were not geared to the level they are today.
The sight of debris-choked fences, and seas of silt over roads and pasture were an almighty shock — then came Cyclone Bola in 1988.
Records show rain events have become more frequent since, especially over the past five to ten years.
This year, while cyclones Hale and Gabrielle headlined the damage bill, other smaller rain events have added to the region’s misery. The seemingly endless repetition of rainfall has seen more than a full year’s wet delivered in just five-and-a-half months.
In the latest deluge, while MetService kept pumping out advisories from Wednesday night on, Tairāwhiti Civil Defence was silent all morning as to whether there was a need for residents to take any action, such as prepare for evacuations.
The district council’s main web page had nothing shouting out any immediate concern — no big red letters that screamed “ATTENTION”.
It is not the first time that questions have been asked about the need for communication.
As just one of many residents who endure flooded properties, or worse, it is clear that paying attention to the climate and severe weather is very much a “now” priority.
