Heavy rain in the Bay and gorge closed after crash

CRASH: The Manawatu George was closed late Friday morning after a serious truck crash. PHOTO/Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter

Heavy rain in Hawke's Bay today has seen Napier and Hastings receive 27mm and 30mm of rain respectively as authorities urge motorists to drive to the conditions after a truck crash in the Manawatu Gorge.

Metservice sais that 27,8mm of rain has fallen in Napier today with 45,5mm expected by the end of the day. In Hastings, 30mm of rain has fallend with 43,1mm expected by tonight. These figures are more than double the rainfall for any day from the last month.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group manager Ian Macdonald said he was expecting a large swell this afternoon and this evening but not at a level that should cause concerns about property damage.

Although there have not been any reports of major accidents on Hawke's Bay roads, the Manawatu Gorge is closed after a truck crashed through a barrier and into the river this morning. The driver is believed to be okay and out of the truck.

A police spokesperson said the general lack of weather related incidences in Hawke's Bay was nice as it meant people were driving safely.

The Central Hawke's Bay District Council sent out a weather warning to civil defence centres this morning but were confident things would be okay

"The weather warning was for the possibility of heavy rain in the western hills. Well, I presume that means the Wakararas and the Ruahines which means most of it will end up in the rivers," said the council's emergency management officer Bruce Kitto.

"The rivers have got plenty of capacity in them. We're not worried about that."
Hawke's Bay's state highway network is also fully open at the moment with no known weather-related issues.

Wayne Oldfield, Hawke's Bay's highways manager, said its contractors are on standby and ready to deal with any road issues that could occur.

He advised people to remember to drive to the winter conditions throughout the heavy rain forecasted weekend.

His tips included:
● Plan your journey.
●Consider if you really need to travel, especially if the weather is poor.
●Always check the weather forecast and road conditions.
●Choose safety over convenience when planning your route