Wairoa mayor may call State of Emergency as Cyclone Fili approaches

Roads were impassable on SH2 south of Wairoa a few weeks ago.

Wairoa's mayor may be forced to call a State of Emergency on Wednesday as Cyclone Fili is forecast to hammer the region already struggling to recover from the last mass deluge.

Torrential rain and gale-force winds are expected to batter Wairoa throughout Wednesday, with up to 350mm of rain in little more than 24 hours, MetService has reported.

At peak, Cyclone Fili could toss 50mm an hour of rain over the district - which is struggling to even start a recovery from the 11 days of relentless rain in late March that brought over 1000mm to parts of the district.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little says it is important people in the district "hope for the best but plan for the worst".

He reassured the community that Government, council and emergency services were ready and staffed for the storm and any potential response.

He said calling a State of Emergency was discussed during an emergency meeting with those agencies on Tuesday late afternoon, but he would wait until Wednesday morning before making that decision.

If a State of Emergency is called it would see more civil defence services being dispatched to the region to help the community.

"It is predicted to peak at lunchtime [on Wednesday]," he said, of the storm.

"I am in contact with the Gisborne mayor who is in the same situation as me and we are in total support that we will wait until early in the morning and make a decision ... and hope it has been blown out to sea."

He said those living in the district must make sure they have a plan, including having good contact with their neighbours to help each other.

"We will get through this. We are resilient, we have done it before, it is not the first weather event to hit us."

MetService has issued a "red" warning for heavy rainfall in both Wairoa and Gisborne for Wednesday - its highest alert warning. It is in place from Wednesday 1am until Thursday 4am in Wairoa.

"This rain is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding," the MetService warning read.

"Slips and floodwaters are likely to disrupt travel, making some roads impassable and possibly isolating communities."

Winds up to 120km/h are also expected around the Wairoa district and power outages are also likely to occur in some areas.

MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said it was important to stay off the roads.

"The rain along with the wind is a perfect set-up to see a lot of trees fall and a lot of disruption around the roading networks, so for people that can stay home they should stay home."

He said it was also important to listen to advice from the local civil defence and authorities as "they will be providing help where necessary."

Meanwhile, in other parts of Hawke's Bay, an "orange" rain warning and wind warning are in place throughout Wednesday.

Up to 120mm of rain is forecast to fall in Hawke's Bay (excluding Wairoa) between the early hours of Wednesday and early hours of Thursday.

On its website, MetService has warned that "driving conditions may be hazardous" and there will also be heavy winds.

The warnings come after Tropical Cyclone Fil formed north of New Caledonia last week.

MetService said Cyclone Fili approached the North Island from the subtopics on Tuesday, tracking southeast toward eastern parts of the North Island.

It said Fili is expected to bring widespread impacts to the North Island, with heavy rain and severe gales accompanying the system, and "very large waves" and coastal inundation likely to affect some eastern coasts.

Ruakituri Valley farmers Bart and Nukuhia Hadfield at their Ahuwhenua Maori Excellence in Farming Award field-day in 2015. They now await more rain after storms in February-March.

Power outages are also likely.

"Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures," MetService said.

The warnings are devastating to residents of Ruakituri Valley northwest of Wairoa, which was visited this week by Ikaroa Rawhiti MP Meka Whaitiri as the residents cry out for help after the March storm.

That storm brought 1100mm of rain from March 21 to April 1 at Mangaroa Station, run by award-winning farmers Bart and Nukuhia Hadfield, which had hundreds of slips and extensive devastation of tracks, which was still impacting access on the property.

Nukuhia Hadfield, rapt to see some sign of hope with the visit on Monday, said forlornly today: "It's warm now, the sun is shining, but we can't do much but sit out the next 48 hours."

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management has established an operation base in Hastings and has warned of the need for people to take steps to protect themselves and property, including avoiding unnecessary travel if they were worried about or unsure of the conditions.