Napier residents still recovering from last week's deluge watched as a thunderstorm caused further flooding on Wednesday.
Thunder and lightning could be spotted across Napier shortly after 6pm on Wednesday – the same time that the rain was at its heaviest last Monday during the deluge.
Both Napier and Hastingsexperienced the storm, which blew out to sea about 6.45pm, as per MetService predictions.
Surface flooding was reported in various areas of Hawke's Bay as a result of the heavy rain, including near Hawke's Bay Airport and in Taradale and Flaxmere.
A Napier City Council spokeswoman said Napier received about 8mm of rain on Wednesday night, causing some surface flooding across the city.
The spokeswoman said the weather also caused a manhole cover to come off at the intersection of Tennyson St and Milton Rd.
"The short burst of rainfall we had pushed debris towards the manhole in question and the swirling effect and pressure of the water pushed the cover off," she said.
"We had staff out in the affected area and we were not overly concerned with what occurred."
The spokeswoman said NCC staff were out again on Thursday in the affected area to check all manholes were secure.
Police keep an eye on the intersection of Milton Rd and Tennyson St after a thunderstorm washed small rocks and debris onto the road. Photo / Doug Laing
According to MetService, Hastings had 8.6mm of rainfall between 7pm and 8pm on Wednesday evening.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said firefighters were called to a property with a leak in its roof in Akina, Hastings, on Wednesday evening.
One fire truck attended the scene on Usherwood Cres about 6.40pm.
Lightning crashes over the Toitoi Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre. Photo / Paul Taylor
Firefighters were also called to a burst water pipe at a house on Maraekakaho Rd, in the Hastings suburb of Camberley, about 4.51am on Thursday.
In Hastings, Hawke's Bay Today photographer Paul Taylor, who filmed and photographed into the night last Monday in Napier, captured the lightning strike.
The rain was described as "torrential" in some parts of the region, and began to ease off about 6.35pm.
Last Monday's deluge saw more than 200mm of rain fall between noon and 8pm, and caused widespread slips and flooding.
Meanwhile the Napier City Mayoral Relief Flood Response Fund opened this week and is available to help people affected by flooding in the city.
The fund was boosted by a $100,000 contribution from the Government announced by Minister of Emergency Management Kiritapu Allan last Wednesday after the storm swamped the city.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the fund was set up to help people buy essential items for daily life that are not covered by insurance and other agencies, such as food, clothing and other personal items.
"We are seeing many local people who have suffered hardship or been disadvantaged as a result of the flooding," Wise said.
"Having this fund available will certainly make life easier for them. If a local resident or ratepayer has been impacted by the floods, and can't get support anywhere else, they can apply."
Those affected are able to apply on the Napier City Council website, where more information on criteria to receive funding can be found.
• Anyone can donate to the fund, either in cash at the Napier City Council Customer Service Centre, or via internet banking to Westpac account 03-0698-0289001-00 with reference number 33514010.
