Elliott Kleinjan, 3, and sister Madeline, 18 months, from Hastings brave the wet weather on Tuesday. A heavy rain warning for the north of Hawke's Bay now also extends south of SH5 from Tuesday morning. Photo / Paul Taylor
Elliott Kleinjan, 3, and sister Madeline, 18 months, from Hastings brave the wet weather on Tuesday. A heavy rain warning for the north of Hawke's Bay now also extends south of SH5 from Tuesday morning. Photo / Paul Taylor
MetService issued heavy orange rain warnings for Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Residents advised to prepare for potential rapid rises in water levels and hazardous driving conditions.
Severe gales with speeds up to 120km/h expected, particularly affecting coastal areas.
Extra Unison crews on standby in case of power outages.
Surface flooding, slips and road closures on State Highway network.
Weather could continue into Thursday. Civil Defence “keeping a close watch” on the situation.
River mouths opened by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
The Hastings District Council has taken the precaution of opening a potential evacuation site for coast residents fearing high tides in the storm hitting Hawke’s Bay on Tuesday.
“If people feel unsafe and want to move inland and don’t have friends or family to go to, council has taken the precaution of getting some basic supplies to Haumoana School, which will be open tonight (from 8pm),” the council said in a social media post late on Tuesday afternoon.
“At this stage, however, we are mainly asking that residents remain alert, and think about their emergency plans should there be any concerns about sea levels, or other weather-related issues.”
Amid MetService and Civil Defence warnings of continued heavy rain throughout Hawke’s Bay, the council said weather was forecast to bring with it some high swells, peaking at midnight and remaining elevated till mid-afternoon Wednesday.
As darkness fell, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) reported surface flooding SH5 in Eskdale, SH2 Tangoio to Tutira, SH51 at Awatoto and and SH50 at Waiohiki, all areas hit heavily in Cyclone Gabrielle.
Earlier it was reported, some river mouths were being opened, roads closed, and parents of one rural school were asked to pick up children early on Tuesday as precautionary measures were taken when heavy rain and wind began to batter the East Coast.
Multiple warnings were issued from Tuesday morning for Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne as both regions prepared for a lashing of “severe” gales, heavy rain and surface flooding.
An orange heavy rain warning remained in place for 36 hours from 9am on Tuesday until 9pm on Wednesday for Hawke’s Bay north of State Highway 5 to Gisborne and south of Tolaga Bay, with 180mm to 240mm of rain expected inland and 100mm to 150mm of rain about the coast.
Another orange heavy rain warning remained in place for 30 hours from 9am on Tuesday until 3pm on Wednesday for Hawke’s Bay about and south of State Highway 5, with 140mm to 180mm of rain about the inland ranges and coastal hills, and 80mm to 120mm elsewhere.
Peak rates 15 to 25mm/h were expected during Tuesday afternoon and evening, and by soon after 4pm the heaviest rain for the day had been inland areas from Pukeorapa in the north to Gwavas in the hills of western Central Hawke’s Bay. There had been over 60mm at Pukeorapa and Crownthorpe, and 50mm at Glengarry, according to regional council recordings.
An orange strong wind warning took effect for 18 hours from 12pm on Tuesday until 6am on Wednesday for Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay from Wairoa north, including the Mahia Peninsula.
Severe gales are expected, with southerlies gusting 120km/h in exposed places. Most of the extreme wind is expected to be felt in coastal areas, with heavy swells expected to peak around midnight.
A heavy rain warning for the north of Hawke's Bay now also extends south of SH5 from Tuesday morning. Graphic / MetService
Civil Defence ‘keeping a close watch’
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management said via its social media channels on Tuesday it was “keeping a close watch on the situation” and would update people when necessary.
It advised people to ring 111 in an emergency and check for the latest updates on local road closures and impacts to local services on local council websites.
MetService meteorologists indicated the slight potential for all three warnings to escalate to a red warning and also warned of the possibility of further rain from Wednesday night into Thursday.
Streams and rivers could rise rapidly, and surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions were also possible.
MetService advised residents to clear their drains and gutters, avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.
River mouths to be opened
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said on Tuesday it would continue to monitor river levels during the warning period.
“We expect rivers in the Heretaunga Plains to stay within their channels,” a social media post said.
Due to the combination of rain and ocean swell, an opening of the Waihoratuna River was scheduled for Tuesday evening at low tide, and one for the Nuhaka River mouth was scheduled at 1pm.
Crews were also working to open the Wairoa River mouth for low tide on Wednesday, moving it from the western end of the Whakamahi Lagoon closer to the Eastern Ngatmotu Lagoon.
“We are still expecting heavy rain in Wairoa over the next two days, and this will particularly impact the eastern catchments of Wairoa, Nūhaka, Mahia and Kopuawhara.”
Pumps have also been increased at Haumoana, and night crews were scheduled to be out on Tuesday night checking pumps, rivers and drains around the Heretaunga Plains flood schemes.
The council also said it had contingency plans for Pōrangahau, Eskdale, Tangoio and the Heretaunga Plains.
A Unison Networks spokesperson said customers in Hawke’s Bay are advised to prepare for periods without power in the event a storm causes outages.
“We currently have extra crews on standby, ready to restore any power outages as quickly as possible.
“To help prevent damage to our powerlines and powerboxes, make sure you secure all outdoor items that could become airborne, such as trampolines, bins and outdoor furniture.”
People were also advised to avoid any floodwaters and stay well clear of any fallen powerlines or damaged electrical equipment.
“If you do experience an outage, please report it to our 24/7 faults team, and we’ll get on to it as soon as possible.”
Deep low-pressure system to stick around
North of State Highway 5 is the primary area meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said forecasters were “particularly concerned” about, with a moderate chance of being upgraded to a red warning.
Peak intensities of rain would range from 10 to 15mm/h and could be expected from Tuesday afternoon until before dawn on Wednesday, with surface flooding and slips a possibility.
“We’ve got a deep low pressure system northeast of the North Island today, and we’re expecting it to stick around for the next few days,” Wotherspoon said.
“Tuesday and Wednesday are when we are expecting the heaviest rain and strongest winds to make their way to the eastern areas of the North Island.”
MetService advised through social media that an extended period of strong winds will mean dangerous coastal conditions along the East Coast.
MetService also issued a storm warning for the Portland Coastal area along the east coast from Cape Runaway to Cape Turnagain and a gale warning off the coast of Hawke’s Bay from Portland Island to Cape Kidnappers.
Surface flooding on State Highway network
A stretch of State Highway 35 from Anaura Rd to Mata Rd near Gisborne was closed due to on Tuesday afternoon due to surface flooding.
NZTA said crews were monitoring the network and also responding as quickly as possible to any reports of potholes forming as a result of the heavy rainfall.
Surface flooding was also reported in a number of areas, including Waiohiki on State Highway 50, Eskdale on State Highway 5, and a slip on State Highway 35 at Tikitiki.
As of 3.45pm Tuesday, these roads remained open, but caution was advised.
NZTA regional manager of maintenance and operations Rua Pani advised all road users to take extreme care, especially high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists in the wind and for those who come across any surface flooding.
“It’s really important to drive to the conditions, adjust your speed and following distance when you need to and be alert for the possibility of surface flooding or debris on roads,” Pani said.
People could also expect short-notice closures should conditions worsen and should keep an eye on the NZTA Journey Planner for any changes.
Levinia Kleinjan, of Hastings, was out and about with her young children Elliot and Madeline on Tuesday near the Hastings Library.
She said she’d noticed some surface flooding and puddles forming around Hastings.
“There are definitely some decent puddles out there,” she said.
She said the weather had started to pick up on their trip home.
“It’s really setting in now, and I’m glad that we’re home.”
A spokesperson for Te Mahia school in Mahia said parents were being asked to pick up their children early on Tuesday as a precautionary measure because of the possibility of rising water along the nearby Kaiwaitau Rd.
A Hawke’s Bay business owner who works with RSE workers said many of his workers wouldn’t be able to work in the wet conditions.
“The only thing that we can do is move some of our guys around, with some of them working in covered areas so everyone gets close to whatever they need to make for the week.”
People could continue following the MetService website for further weather and warning updates.
