Warning issued after slips on highways in Hawke's Bay

The Ngaruroro River at Chesterhope Bridge near Hastings was swollen this morning. Photo/Paul Taylor

The New Zealand Transport Agency has put area and road hazard warnings on sections of State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupo and SH2 north as a result of minor slips and stretches of surface flooding.

While both highways remain open motorists are advised to caution.

A bigger slip on SH38 between Tuai and Frasertown has closed that highway.

NZ Transport Agency contractors have been working to clear minor slips at sites between Eskdale and Tarawera on SH5 and between Tangoio and Raupunga on SH2.

People travelling today are advised to check with the www.nzta.govt.nz site for highway condition updates. Hawke's Bay Regional Council spokesman Drew Broadley said the region overall had handled the rainstorms reasonably well.

"We have had mobile pumps deployed in case things were to worsen but at this stage we are not expecting that to happen."

Mr Broadley said contractors had been deployed to clear weeds and debris from drain and pump station filters to ensure the pumps were operating to capacity.

He said although there were stretches of surface flooding, and people needed to take care accordingly, it had not reached serious levels.

The deep low affecting the country is expected to move southeastwards to the east of New Zealand later today and into Thursday and a heavy rain warning remains in place for the Bay, although a Metservice spokesperson said it was not expected to reach ''severe warning'' criteria.

The forecast is for rain, with some heavy falls, to ease this afternoon and into the evening, although further belts of rain are expected.

The weather is forecast to settle down over the region tomorrow and bring fine weather through until Sunday. From midnight through to 8am today 25mm fell in Napier and 24.4mm in Hastings.

Another 35mm is expected through until the end of today.