Gutters, paddocks flood in downpour

Liam Danielson enjoys the sunshine at the Napier Pump Track. Photo / Duncan Brown

Belts of steady rain crossed the outskirts of Hawke's Bay on the weekend, with Dannevirke copping the worst of it.

In just 20 hours, Dannevirke received 60.6mm of rain between 4am on Saturday and midnight that same day.

Gutters flooded and stock was left standing in pools of water as the rain washed out paddocks.

The Manawatu, Whanganui and New Plymouth were also hammered by heavy rain, which caused flooding and a string of evacuations.

Assessments are underway in the Rangitikei region where commercial and residential homes were flooded in Marton and 25 people were accommodated in the Civil Defence Centre overnight.

It is estimated that tens of millions of dollars worth of damage has been caused and it will take weeks to gain access to some farms. The heavy rain impacted on transport for anyone travelling from the Bay south, and vice-versa.

The Manawatu Gorge was closed by a slip and remains closed, and two slips have shut down the Pahiatua Track alternative route.

The Hawks game against the Canterbury Rams in the National Basketball League match in Napier yesterday was postponed to a 6pm tip off today after they were stranded in Wanganui due to the flooding.

The only way through is the Saddle Rd, Tararua Council chief executive Blair King said, and that was down to one lane for traffic but closed to heavy trucks.

Construction work on one stretch of the bypass road had left the ground open to the elements, and heavy rain had softened it to the point where only light traffic could cautiously pass over it.

"A truck going through there would get bogged and that would be that - road closed," Mr King said.

He advised people travelling SH2 south to check the New Zealand Transport Agency's and council's websites for update.

Central Hawke's Bay District Council emergency management officer Graham Howse said the southern part of the region escaped the worst.

"I have to say I think we dodged the bullet again - we are on the right side of the big hills."

In the same 20 hour period that saw more than 60mm fall in Dannevirke, Hastings got 14mm and Napier 6.6mm.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council's river monitoring service showed levels were logged as normal.

Mr Howse said about 40mm had fallen at his rural Waipukurau property but stream levels and rural roads were not affected.

"There's a bit of surface water around the place but nothing too bad."

He said what spared the region from any potential serious flooding was the dry start to winter.

"The ground wasn't overly wet to start with so the land has pretty well soaked what we got up."

The almost early spring-like shortest day, yesterday, drew many people out for a break in the dampness with showers forecast for the Bay over the next three days, although they will be mixed with periods of sunshine.

The southerly weather flow will also drop temperatures down to 11C in the twin cities and as low as 6C in Dannevirke. The showers are expected to begin clearing on Wednesday evening.