Winter deluge: Widespread flooding and damage to parts of the East Coast

The East Cape is bearing the brunt of bad weather for the second time in a week as strong winds and heavy rain lash the North Island.

Downpours have swamped an already rain-soaked Gisborne district, and strong winds have littered the streets with debris. Many trees are down around town.

This follows Queen's Birthday weekend flooded that severely hit Tolaga Bay after a million tonnes of forestry slash was washed into waterways.

More than 30 rural roads have been affected, and 10 affected schools and kindergartens were closed. Photo / The Gisborne Herald

More than 30 rural roads have been affected, and slips on State Highway 5 (Napier-Taupō Rd), State Highway 2 (Napier-Wairoa Rd) have closed the routes. The township of Te Karaka north of Gisborne has been completely cut off.

Lanes on Thames Coast Rd are also closed because of slips.

The heaviest falls of about 200mm in the past 24 hours were recorded by the Gisborne District Council's rain gauge in the Waikura Valley at East Cape.

High country rain gauges all showed big falls: Mata 175mm, Pakihiroa 145mm, Puketoro 175mm and Arowhana 134mm.

Fernside had 120mm, Matawai 110mm, Pakarae 120mm, Te Arai 110mm, Te Puia 110mm, Waerenga o kuri 130mm, and Waipaoa at Kanakanaia 110mm.

One of many trees that has come down in the Gisborne region, on Gaddums Hill. Photo / The Gisborne Herald

More than 5500 households and businesses throughout Kaiti and the whole of the East Coast also woke without power this morning after a large macrocarpa tree fell across 50kV power lines in Valley Rd by the Massey Rd substation about 11pm.

In Te Araroa a trampoline blew into powerlines and also cut power. There are also outages in Tauranga, Tokoroa, Palmerston North, Napier and Hastings.

Eastland Network has restored power to over 600 customers, but about 927 customers are without power. Powerco is also working to restore power supply to 760 customers in Tauranga.

Power companies have advised that although the weather should gradually improve through today, customers should be prepared for lengthy periods without power.

Nineteen North Island schools and seven early childhood services were closed because of the weather, meaning 2114 students and 266 learners had to stay home.

John Edwards (Tubby) with dogs Dog and Ben in the floodwaters in Gisborne. Photo / The Gisborne Herald

As the centre of the subtropical low moves onshore, wind gusts have reached more than 100km/h. Gusts of 169km/h have been recorded on White Island, 113km/h near Rotorua and 100km/h at Hicks Bay.

Gisborne Airport recorded a gust of 76km/h at about midnight and a gust of 96km/h was recorded at Tolaga Bay.

As the storm moves across the North Island, Hawke's Bay residents are preparing to be the next region overwhelmed by its forces.

MetService is predicting 100-130mm of rain through to midday tomorrow in the Ruahine and Kaweka Ranges, on top of what the region has already experienced.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence emergency management group controller Ian Macdonald said most rivers are coping with the downpour so far, although close attention is being paid to the Esk River and rivers around Wairoa.

"While the public might see some rivers spilling over, that is normal and we are confident the stopbanks on our major rivers will keep them contained," Macdonald said.

Flooding on Harper Road in Gisborne. Photo / The Gisborne Herald

People who live in low-lying areas should keep a close watch on the rivers and streams in their area and be prepared to move if they feel unsafe.

Meanwhile, people are also being urged to keep away from the coast from Cape Kidnappers to Mahia where heavy swells are expected throughout the day, culminating at high tide at 4pm.

A 5.83m easterly swell has been recorded at the Napier Port buoy.

Civil Defence is continuing to closely monitor the situation and council staff are on standby to activate a co-ordination centre if necessary.

Gisborne's mayor Meng Foon says it is a huge relief to have government support after the dreadful weather.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Communities announced this morning that the flood damage around Tolaga Bay was now classified as a "medium-scale adverse event" which meant the region would get much needed financial support.

"We have a lot of work to do in terms of keeping the community safe, repairs to bridges and roads and clearing of forestry slash," Foon said.

"This immediate response from the Government will lighten the burden on our community and help us to get on with the work that needs to be done."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Cabinet would discuss the issue of forestry slash.

"That's a wider issue that ministers are doing work on as we speak, and I think minister [Shane] Jones has made it really clear and rightly so that the priority has to be that we get the clean-up done, but we have to look at whether we are planting the right tree in the right place."

- Additional reporting by the Gisborne Herald