Flooding on Friday at the Poverty Bay Flats off Aerodrome Rd and State Highway 35. Photo / Gisborne Herald
Flooding on Friday at the Poverty Bay Flats off Aerodrome Rd and State Highway 35. Photo / Gisborne Herald
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence has urged the public to continue to take care in the wet conditions after a MetService heavy rain watch over the Gisborne district was lifted.
MetService lifted the watch on Friday morning after heavy rain brought surface flooding to parts of the district.
“It was a stormynight, so driving conditions won’t be ideal. Remember, there will be surface flooding for sure, so drive to the conditions,” Tairāwhiti Civil Defence wrote in a social media post Friday morning.
Various parts of the Poverty Bay Flats were flooded over Thursday night and into Friday morning, while wood debris flowing down rivers was building up at Waikanae Beach in the city - a regular occurrence in heavy rain.
The council said it had teams throughout the region attending to surface flooding incidents.
“The weather event is sweeping through the region, but seems to be subsiding. Teams are reporting that some surface flooding has receded shortly after setting up traffic management. In general, traffic can still get through,” the council said in a media statement.
Gisborne District Council's river cam at the Waimata River at Goodwins Rd bridge after heavy rain on Friday morning. Photo / Gisborne District Council
“Teams will continue to monitor surface flooding conditions as the weather continues and will be applying traffic management in areas where the roads have been affected. We would recommend that the public please drive to the conditions and be aware of surface flooding throughout the region,” the council said.
The council’s website, meanwhile, had the following details on it on road closures that were updated on Friday between 11am and noon:
Bruce Rd - Kanakanaia, entire road closed due to surface flooding from the river.
Kaiaua Rd at 6.3km closed due to a slip.
The heaviest rainfall recorded by Gisborne District Council rainfall monitoring stations was 112.2 millimetres over the 24 hours to 12pm Friday at the Wharerata Radio Rd station close to the region’s border with Hawke’s Bay.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council measured 127mm in 24 hours to 12pm Friday at Pukeorapa north of Nūhaka.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris earlier told the Gisborne Herald the weather was the result of a low pressure system moving over the upper North Island on Thursday.
Wood debris buildp at Waikanae Beach, Gisborne on Friday after an overnight deluge. Photo / Gisborne Herald
On Friday morning, heavy rainfall in Gisborne city had eased to showers.
MetService forecasted fine spells increasing from the afternoon, along with strong southerlies, easing in the afternoon.
This was followed by a forecast of fine weather for Tairāwhiti on Saturday, with a high of 13C and a low of 5C, and westeries expected to ease in the afternoon and evening.
