Wairoa’s Christmas gift - good summer rain

Wairoa in July this year, after the last big storm was over. Photo / NZME

Farmers in northern Hawke’s Bay are counting their blessings after more than 100mm of rain fell in the area in two days without any sign of the flooding that devastated the district in Cyclone Gabrielle and again in June this year.

Mayor Craig Little, who farms at Ohuka, between Wairoa and Lake Waikaremoana, was a little worried when he heard of flooding of some shops in the Marine Parade business centre on Monday, but said 24 hours later there appeared to have been no damage and it was “good summer rain” the district needed as residents started to fret that its calamities might be followed by a drought.

“If there had been no more rain by January people would be getting a bit worried,” he said.

Rain was still falling as forecast early on Tuesday afternoon, more than 36 hours after it started, and a heavy rain watch posted by national weather agency MetService was still in place, for the 36 hours from Wednesday at 8am to Thursday at 8pm, forecasting heavy rain for areas of Hawke’s Bay north of State Highway 5 (the Napier-Taupō road).

It said amounts may approach warning criteria, especially about the Wairoa District, that thunderstorms were possible from late Thursday morning, and there was a moderate chance of the warning being upgraded.

Little reaffirmed the flooding on Monday had come from drains being unable to cope until cleared, and he was unaware of any new issues with roads, which have otherwise been in many cases undergoing repairs and rebuilding for the year and 10 months since the cyclone.

The river bar to the sea was open “and seems to be working”, he said.

More than 150mm of rain had been recorded in about 36 hours at Marumaru, northwest of Wairoa, and over 130mm at the Wairoa River railway bridge, according to Hawke’s Bay Regional Council network figures.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalism experience, 41 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.