Weather alert for motorists

The hills around Te Pohue off State highway 5 which was briefly closed yesterday because of black ice.Photo/Paul Taylor

Falling temperatures and falling rain led to SH5 between Napier and Taupo being closed for more than an hour yesterday morning after treacherous black ice formed on stretches of the highway just north of the Titiokuras.

Metservice had forecast snow down to 700m and issued a "snow watch" warning for the region the day before - but while snow did not form on the highway the cold which came with the front carrying it formed the hard to see black ice.

The snow watch warning was lifted just before 9am but cold conditions and showers are expected to continue across Hawke's Bay for at least the next week. That led to police and the New Zealand Transport Agency issuing a drive with "extreme caution" warning to motorists using the highway.

"It can be a challenging route to drive at the best of times," NZTA spokesman Anthony Frith said. "Just because it is open does not mean it is without some risk - people need to be prepared and drive accordingly."

Yesterday's brief closure of the highway between 7am and 8.45am was the first of the winter.

Bay View Police constable John Bruce said road contractors reported coming across black ice around 7am and it was decided to close the highway until conditions had cleared.

He said by the afternoon conditions, while still cold, had improved slightly but motorists travelling SH5 needed to exercise extra concern.

Metservice issued a severe weather watch for Hawke's Bay and Gisborne yesterday morning warning of periods of heavy rain in northern Hawke's Bay, especially around the Wairoa region.

The rain and falling temperatures was being propelled by a cold southerly flow as a narrow ridge of high pressure moves over the South Island. A low pressure system lying to the east of the North Island is expected to spread bands of rain over the east coast on an off from Friday through to Sunday. A Metservice spokesperson said there was a "low risk" of rainfall reaching short duration warning amounts about Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and northern Wairarapa during that period.

Although wet snow was still likely about the ranges of Hawke's Bay and Gisborne above 800m it was unlikely to affect any higher level roads and the watch for heavy snow in these areas had been lifted. However, forecasters would continue to monitor the situation.