"She would have struggled to be able to get out," he said. "But fortunately she was not hurt."
The weather was fine at the scene, although MetService radar had detected thunderstorms to the north near Willow Flat, with warnings of "severe thunderstorms" in Northern Hawke's Bay and elsewhere across the North Island.
The thunderstorms were expected to be accompanied by torrential rain and hail, with possible surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas.
Hail had been expected in some areas in parts of a wide area expected to be hit between 1pm and 9pm, also including Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo, and Gisborne.
Temperatures had been in the high 20s for much of the day in Hawke's Bay
and a meteorologist said the most at-risk areas in Hawke's Bay were in Kaweka Ranges, including the Napier-Taupo Rd, warning drivers to be wary of the change in conditions.