We sat down with weatherwatch.co.nz's head weather forecaster Phillip Duncan and asked him about what we can expect in the coming months.
Video / NZME
Inland areas of Hawke’s Bay recorded up to 88 millimetres of rain in what was a welcome “top-up” for farmers, but also one that left one or two cyclone-frayed nerves jangling.
The region was hit with a sudden downpour on Sunday night, resulting in minor surface flooding and a significant drop in temperature.
While the outlook for the rest of the week doesn’t look as bad, people shouldn’t put away their raincoats and umbrellas just yet.
Te Pōhue recorded 88mm during the 12-hour period (the fourth-highest total from across the country on Sunday), and Napier Airport recorded 59.8mm.
“That’s still a fairly decent amount of rainfall during that period. For people who were looking for rain, I imagine the top-up would’ve been welcome.”
Police said there were no weather-related callouts over the 12-hour period and no reports of widespread damage.
An NZTA Waka Kothi spokesperson said there were no reported closures or slips on Hawke’s Bay’s state highways.
However, surface flooding was reported on State Highway 2 in Napier and north of Napier, State Highway 50 at the Taradale Road intersection, State Highway 51 at the Waitangi Road intersection and State Highway 5 at Te Haroto.
A warning was in place for road users to take care, and be aware of flooding, to slow down and drive to the conditions through the flooding.
“There were a few hours with higher hourly rainfall rates,” Corrigan said.
“For three of those hours, there was more than 10mm of rain recorded per hour.”
Surface flooding on the Hawke's Bay expressway as downpours hit Hawke's Bay. Photo / Connull Lang
The largest total rainfall numbers were seen between 8-9pm on Sunday, he said.
“There were definitely some heavier periods where a decent amount of rain was falling in a short space of time.”
While the heaviest rain is likely over, Corrigan said there’s still a good chance of showers up until Thursday.
“The system has moved away to the east of the North Island. Hawke’s Bay can expect some southeasterly winds coming on shore, which also come with rain.”
A reprieve will potentially come on Thursday, with the sun set to return. But until then, the usual high and humid temperatures will stay away.
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
