Hawke’s Bay residents are being advised to stay on the alert as the region is subjected to a heavy lashing of rain over the next few days.
Rain watches and warnings are in place for Hawke’s Bay until early Tuesday morning, with 120-150mm of rain expected to fall over a 24-hour period from Sunday night near the Ruahine Range.
“The heavy rain warning is mainly for the ranges, so the Ruahines and other inland ranges of Hawke’s Bay. Much of the rest of the area is covered by a heavy rain watch, pretty much from Gisborne all the way down to Wairarapa just north of Carterton,” MetService meteorologist Philippa Murdoch said.
“We say to be careful because rivers and streams can rise rapidly, and you can also get surface flooding and slips as well.”
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group said on social media the rainfall would likely be around one-in-five-year levels, and that its widespread nature could see a “small to moderate” rise in river levels.