North Island battered

A marine warning was issued in Hawke’s Bay yesterday after two empty shipping containers were blown into the water.

One container washed up on a beach north of Napier but the other remained missing.

A marine warning was issued to shipping and the boating community to notify of the hazard, a Napier Port spokeswoman said.

Heavy rain and gales battered the east of the North Island, blocking highways, as a deep low from the subtropics moved south.

Just before noon the NZ Transport Agency recommended people avoid travelling in the Gisborne region, if possible, while Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence was urging people to avoid unnecessary travel.

The weather closed 15 schools and six early childhood education centres, affecting 1883 students and 175 learners, the Ministry of Education said.

Multiple slips closed state highways.

While most rivers were coping, the Wairoa River was approaching five-year levels, and there were reports of flooding, Gisborne Civil Defence group controller Ian Macdonald said. The Esk River near Wairoa was also being closely watched.

People were being urged to keep away from the coast from Cape Kidnappers to Mahia, with heavy swells expected, Macdonald said. A 5.83-metre easterly swell was recorded at the Napier Port buoy.

The Gisborne township of Te Karaka was cut off after the Waipaoa River rose to dangerous levels, affecting about 600 people. Gisborne District Council said many areas cleared last week after heavy rain had been damaged again.

Heavy rain and strong winds caused power cuts to at least 2200 customers between Gisborne, Wairoa and Hawke’s Bay.

Taira¯ whiti Civil Defence and Emergency Management and Gisborne District Council’s flood warning team were continuing to monitor river levels and rainfall.

Air New Zealand warned the bad weather could affect flights.

In Wellington, trains on the Wairarapa line were held up while a tree was cleared from the tracks.

Metservice issued a new set of weather warnings. Areas forecast to be hit by the strongest winds, with gusts to 120kmh in exposed areas, included the Marlborough Sounds.

The hills and ranges of north Canterbury were added to the list of other areas that could get heavy rain.

A deep low that had come down from the tropics was expected to move south-southwest across the North Island by last night, Metservice meteorologist Matt Todd said.

The low had brought warm moist air with it and was dropping heavy rain, particularly over eastern parts of the North Island. The heaviest rain by yesterday morning was in the Gisborne ranges where several gauges recorded about 130mm.