The heaviest accumulations were forecast to be about the ranges and the coastal hills south of Cape Kidnappers.
This week's bout of rain comes soon after Tropical Cyclone Debbie, a category four cyclone, which claimed lives and damaged houses beyond repair as it flooded southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales in Australia.
With plenty of wet weather in store for Hawke's Bay over the coming days, locals are being urged to keep up to date with the forecast and take precautions.
Hawke's Bay police asked motorists to ensure everyone was wearing a seat belt and that safe following distances were maintained in the wet conditions.
"We really need people to drive to the conditions - this includes adjusting speed, watching following distances, and keeping an eye out for surface flooding on the road," a police spokeswoman said.
Unison power lines company relationship manager Danny Gough said the public could keep up to date with any power outages on Unison's Facebook page or website.
"While we're not necessarily expecting any significant power outages it would be foolhardy of us to dismiss the possibility."
Mr Gough said flooding and landslips caused by wet weather could affect power lines, however he said the fact that there wasn't any significant wind forecast was a blessing.
Johnny Appleseed Holdings general manager Paul Paynter said while apples are tolerant to wet weather the rain would make harvesting logistics challenging.
Mr Paynter said after four weeks of "messy weather" the ground underfoot was already quite muddy and the rain would most likely make it harder to source labour.
Much of central New Zealand was warned to prepare for floods yesterday and it is forecast that some parts of the country will get three times April's average rainfall in just 48 hours.
Those wishing to seek updated weather forecasts should visit www.metservice.com.
