Events called off as cyclone looms

Dozens of weekend events have been cancelled or postponed as much of New Zealand battens down against a storm which last night seemed likely to go comparatively easy on Hawke's Bay.

Cyclone Lusi, just days after the anniversary of the well-remembered Cyclone Bola which devastated Hawke's Bay, the East Coast and areas further north in March 1988, was forecast to pass to the northwest of North Cape about midday today as it descends on the country from the tropics.

Severe weather warnings for heavy rain and easterly gales were in place for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Nelson and Marlborough, similar to the area covered by warnings before the once-in-a-lifetime Cyclone Bola brought more than 700mm of rain in three days to some areas of Hawke's Bay, destroying the Wairoa town bridge and causing widespread flooding and erosion across the region.

Nothing as severe was expected in Hawke's Bay from Lusi, which was last night being forecast to bring up to 100mm of rain in the Kaweka, Kaimanawa and Ruahine ranges, flooding the rivers across the Heretaunga plains, where up to 40mm of rain was forecast, starting overnight but falling mainly in the 12 hours to 6am tomorrow. Up to 60mm was being forecast south of Cape Kidnappers.

Also forecast was a swell of up to 5 metres at sea, but regional Civil Defence emergency management group manager Ian Macdonald said the seas were not expected to be damaging.

Major risk-avoiding casualties in Hawke's Bay are postponement of the Hohepa Hawke's Bay Country Fair from today until March 29, and the cancellation of the Holy Grail Horse of the Year Show prelude event at Church Road Winery, Taradale, and 6th annual Mangapapa Wedding Affair, both of which were to be held tomorrow.

The 26th Triple Peaks Challenge this morning was maintaining a record of never having been cancelled, but worries about the wind yesterday led to organiser David Tait making "the call" to make it a single-peak adventure, eliminating mounts Kahuranaki and Erin from the course and changing it to "three times up" Te Mata. Competitors at the national aerobatic championships in Waipukurau, which were to have finished today, rushed through their events yesterday to get them finished.

Mr Macdonald highlighted the need for precautions, warning: "As one of my staff said, cyclones don't run on rails."

He was, however, certain it would be "wet with a bit of wind," and people in the ranges during the weekend would need to be aware of the potential of the heavy rain and likely rapid rises in river levels.

The Hawke's Bay Coastguard prefaced warnings to boaties to check moorings by attaching an extra line to its rescue craft last night.

A feature on wedding trends in today's Indulge magazine includes details about the Wedding Affair, as news of the cancellation came after it went to print. Anyone who purchased pre-sale tickets through GrabOne, will be contacted for a full refund.