Cyclone Hate has caused severe damage to the Tairāwhiti region. Images show damage and a dropout on Arakihi Road in Tolaga Bay. Photo: Supplied/Uawa Civil Defence
MetService says while Cyclone Hale is weakening over the North Island, heavy rain and strong winds will continue to hit some areas for the next few hours.
Heavy rain warnings are still in place for the eastern hills and ranges of Wairarapa to midnight and for Mount Taranaki through to 6am tomorrow morning.
Heavy Rain Warning (Orange) issued for Taranaki, Tararua, Wairarapa https://t.co/0VDJ9jvMTy
— MetService Severe Weather Info (@MetServiceWARN) January 11, 2023
Several rural Wairarapa roads remain closed due to flooding and slips.
Roads between Masterton and the East Coast have been closed, including Masterton-Castlepoint road which cuts off Castlepoint, Riversdale, Whareama, Whakataki and Tinui.
Higgins contractors said some roads in the area are also down to one lane due to flooding and fallen trees.
Photo: Supplied/Tairāwhiti Civil Defence
Further south, White Rock Road east of Martinborough has been closed at Tuturumuri, isolating Tora on the coast.
Gisborne region suffering power outages
Across Tairāwhiti, 286 homes remain without power and will likely continue overnight.
The region remains in a state of emergency and residents are being urged to avoid unnecessary travel.
State Highway 35 remains closed from Tolaga Bay to Ruatoria but the road between Hicks Bay and Te Araroa has now opened.
GISBORNE & HAWKE'S BAY – SEVERE WEATHER – UPDATE 8:20PM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Central North Island (@WakaKotahiCNI) January 11, 2023
CLOSED
• SH35 Tolaga Bay to Ruatoria – Severe weather
• SH2 Whirinaki to Wairoa – Slips
OPEN WITH CAUTION
• SH35 Hicks Bay to Te Araroa
• SH5 down to one lane in places
Overnight updates: https://t.co/rpwHLJBhKO ^CS https://t.co/1VqvhC9UPy pic.twitter.com/LPP7psVhWE
State Highway 2 is closed between Wairoa and Napier.
Fifty-nine local roads are closed with issues of flooding, significant dropouts and slips.
The Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said river levels around the area are dropping rapidly.
This is how Cyclone Hale moves across and away from Aotearoa NZ over the next 36 hours
— MetService (@MetService) January 10, 2023
By tomorrow night all traces of the cyclone will be gone, while a ridge of high pressure starts to build over the South Island
ℹ https://t.co/Yjbq0jgaoz pic.twitter.com/cz7YuPYWLD
