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Heavy rainfall and gusty winds in northern Hawke’s Bay caused slips and debris on some roads and at least one power outage.

A vehicle was badly damaged after hitting a rock slip on Nūhaka Opoutama Rd near Mahia on Friday morning.

Fortunately, no one was injured in that incident.

It comes as on Friday, after a wet Boxing Day.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the Wairoa district until noon on Saturday, according to MetService.

Meanwhile, a fallen tree across power lines caused an early-morning power outage in the Te Haroto area to about 150 properties up SH5 Napier-Taupō Rd on Friday morning.

About 34 of those properties were still without power as of 11.30am.

“One hundred and 25 of these customers will have another outage early this afternoon [Friday] – currently planned for between 12 and 2 – this is to make permanent repairs after another tree fell through our lines yesterday morning [Thursday],” a Unison spokeswoman said.

Mahia police community constable Chad Prentice said about noon on Friday, the rain and winds were still heavy.

“Right now the winds are absolutely raging and the rain is still tumbling.”

Prentice said there were some slips and debris on the roads, including on SH2 between Wairoa and Gisborne, and people should drive carefully. That highway was still open as of noon on Friday.

“I think sometimes people get lost in the haste and drive a little bit quick, and with all the surface water it is a recipe to have a mishap,” he said.

“Around Mahia, we have got several trees that are damaged and across the roads, and lots of surface water, and rockslides and things like that.”

He said there had been a few minor crashes on Friday morning.

In one incident a vehicle hit a rockslide in Nūhaka Opoutama Rd, causing significant damage to the vehicle.

“No one was injured, fortunately.”

Prentice said it was quiet around Mahia and that was unusual for this time of year. Mahia is a holiday beach destination, particularly in the New Year period.

“With high swells and the wind and the rain – and it’s looking like it is going to continue through the New Year period – it is not looking good,” he said.

“It is a bit of a shame for the local businesses, particularly for this time of year when a lot of them make money.”

Firstlight Network, which oversees the electricity network in Wairoa and Gisborne, has been contacted about outages in that area.

Firstlight posted on Facebook mid-morning on Friday that “the weather is causing trees and other debris to come down across the region“.

“Please treat power lines as live at all times and stay well clear.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council shared a post on Facebook on Friday, stating it was monitoring river levels.

“The MetService has reissued an orange rain warning for Wairoa, with an additional 100-130mm of rainfall expected from 9am Friday to noon Saturday.

“Alongside this, we’re also anticipating a sea swell from the south/southwest to pick up [on Friday].

“We understand this weather can feel unsettling and we want to assure you that our team is actively monitoring the situation.

“Currently, the Wairoa River mouth remains open and flows are heading to sea. Forecasting suggests river levels will rise to the ground levels near the swing set in the playground (near the yacht club), however, unlikely to reach Kopu Rd.

“Our team is on the ground in Wairoa, monitoring river levels and providing support as needed.

“Across Hawke’s Bay, we’re also inspecting and monitoring other river mouths.”

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at ��һ�ǿ����� Corp Australia.