More rain on its way after 'short sharp hit' brings surface flooding to Napier and Hastings

Motorists are being urged to take care on the roads with heavy rainfall causing surface flooding in places like Nuffield Ave, Marewa. Photo / Paul Taylor

A "short sharp hit of rainfall" amid a consistently damp weekend in Hawke's Bay caused surface flooding in both Napier and Hastings on Sunday.

Kayaks were spotted in some of the overflowing creeks around Frimley in Hastings and nerves started jangling for many in suburbs like Marewa and Onekawa, badly affected by widespread flooding just eight months ago, as waters started to rise about 1pm.

In the end, as predicted, it never came close to the heights of November's torrent and as at 3.30pm, the weather had largely cleared with no damage reported.

A heavy rain watch remained in place for the hills of Wairoa from Monday at 6am until Tuesday at 10am.

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Heavy rainfall is contributing to flooding across parts of Hastings and Napier, including Storkey St, Marewa. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence said in a post on social media that Napier and Hastings had experienced "a short sharp hit of rainfall", amounting to just under 20 mm in one hour around noon.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said there had been "quite a bit of rain" across the region over the weekend.

Napier had an official reading of about 29mm in the 24 hours before 3pm Sunday, but some parts of Hawke's Bay around the ranges, especially in Central Hawke's Bay, had readings of more than 100mm, she said.

"For Sunday, the bulk of the rain has passed," Makgabutlane said.

"We're still expecting more with another wave coming through."

Wairoa was likely to be the worst hit and she said flooding and the impacts of heavy rainfall, such as slips and hazardous driving conditions, still remained a possibility.

Water on Sunday covered roads and streets in parts of Marewa, Onekawa and Napier South, including along Storkey St where many of last year's families forced out of their homes by the floods still remain in Kennedy Park.

Emergency services were kept busy directing traffic and responding to weather related call outs.

Firefighting crews were called to three weather related jobs in Hastings and Havelock North and five across Napier.