• Cyclone Vaianu is set to hit on Sunday afternoon, with MetService calling it a “multi-hazard, potentially life-threatening event”.
• Hawke’s Bay and Tararua are under orange weather warnings.
• Residents living in coastal areas of Hastings from Te Awanga to Waimārama were told to evacuate by 5pm on Saturday.
• Residents of coastal Central Hawke’s Bay were told to evacuate by midday Sunday.
• A local state of emergency has been declared in multiple areas including coastal Hawke’s Bay.
• Do you have photos, video or updates to share about Cyclone Vaianu? Email us at news@hbtoday.co.nz

People are being urged to stay home and stop sightseeing on the coast as Cyclone Vaianu begins its descent towards Hawke’s Bay.

A windsurfer was seen out for a sail off the coast of Napier about 1pm on Sunday.

Police were called to Marine Parade about 25 minutes earlier as onlookers jumped the fence to the closed viewing platform, with video capturing them being splashed by waves.

A police spokesperson said they received a request to check Marine Parade about 12.35pm.

“On attendance we found some spectators in the area who were given safety advice given the current warnings and advisories in place.

“For your safety, please avoid bodies of water, such as the ocean or rivers, while this weather event is ongoing.

A person was spotted windsurfing off Westshore in Napier on Sunday. Photo / Napier City

“Police need to be able to focus on priority calls for service.

“Please heed any temporary fencing/warning signs and do not put yourself at risk.

“We urge members of the public to stay home unless advised otherwise by local authorities, or if you feel it is unsafe to do so.”

A Napier City Council spokesperson told residents to stay off all beaches and coastal paths during the cyclone.

The council said people should not be surfing, swimming or fishing and they should avoid viewing waves from shorelines or exposed areas.

“These conditions can change quickly and become life-threatening without warning.”

Evacuation of coastal Central Hawke’s Bay

Coastal areas of Central Hawke’s Bay were at 11.30am being told to evacuate due to the potential for Cyclone Vaianu’s impacts to be “life threatening”.

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council said MetService had on Sunday morning issued an Orange Heavy Rain Warning for the coastal hills south of Cape Kidnappers.

“This could affect smaller streams and catchments towards the coast and impact the ability to get out later.

“The combination of damaging winds, the increased heavy rain and coastal inundation makes this a multi-hazard, potentially life-threatening event.

“The impacts associated with Cyclone Vaianu, are power outages, falling trees, flooding, slips and road closures.

“We are strongly advising people in coastal areas to evacuate now.

Waves whipped up by Cyclone Vaianu at high tide in Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay. Photos / Warren Buckland

“It is likely that the roads and access will be affected, meaning emergency services will not be able to reach our coastal communities. It is possible we will not be able to open access for an extended period of time.”

Areas to evacuate immediately include these beach communities:

• Mangakuri
• Kairākau
• Pourerere
• Aramoana/Shoal Bay
• Blackhead
• Whangaheu

The area did not currently include Te Paerahi or Pōrangahau.

There is a Civil Defence Centre at St Peter’s Church, 52 Kenilworth Street, Waipawa, for impacted coastal communities.

Maraes that are opening as community hubs, in addition to the Civil Defence Centre are:

• Te Whatuiāpiti Marae – 1080 Te Aute Trust Road, Poukawa
• Mataweka Marae – 194 Tapairu Road, Waipawa
• Rongomaraeroa Marae – 27 Pah Road, Pōrangahau

A localised state of emergency for the Central Hawke’s Bay coastal communities of Kairakau, Blackhead and Pourerere Beaches was declared by CHB Mayor Will Foley on Saturday.

Foley said on Sunday people in those areas should self-evacuate.

“Please do so now - come inland where it’s safer.”

More than 500 evacuated from Haumoana to Waimarama

Inside the Civil Defence Centre at Hastings Sports Centre in preparation for Cyclone Vaianu. Photo / Hastings District Council

Earlier, Civil Defence was evacuating 39 more homes in the coastal community of Haumoana on Sunday morning as it braced for a 1pm high tide in Hawke’s Bay.

Winds whipped up by the incoming Cyclone Vaianu were beginning to arrive in the region on Sunday morning.

Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management (HBCDEM) said in a post to Facebook the cyclone was tracking “as expected” down the East Coast and was expected to affect Hawke’s Bay from Sunday afternoon.

The post said residents could expect severe gale easterlies, especially about Mahia Peninsula, followed by a lull in the weather as the eye of the storm passes over, followed by a northwesterly wind in the evening and gusts up to 130km/h in exposed areas.

It also warned a large northeasterly swell was expected to peak about 3pm Sunday, with Mahanga, Westshore, Haumoana, Te Awanga, Karirakau and Pourerere being the most exposed areas.

HBCDEM said the swell could cause coastal erosion and flooding in low-lying areas.

Hastings District Council warned coastal communities large swells were expected and high tide about 1pm would “make things worse”.

The council asked coastal communities from Waimārama to Haumoana to evacuate, after a local state of emergency was declared at 11.56am on Saturday.

About 500 coastal homes were given the message to vacate by 5pm on Saturday - 202 in Haumoana, 176 in Te Awanga, 102 in Waimārama and about 20 in Ocean Beach.

Another 39 homes in Haumoana were being told to evacuate on Sunday morning after Civil Defence modelling of the cyclone’s impacts changed.

Evacuees would be able to return to their homes once the impacts of the cyclone decrease and officials deem the areas safe.

As of 1pm Sunday, there were 13 people sheltering at the Hastings Sports Centre.

On Saturday afternoon, an emergency alert was sent to people’s phones on the Hastings coast asking them to evacuate immediately from beachfront properties and areas prone to coastal flooding.

The alert was sent about 1pm and also popped up later on phones as, and when, an affected area of coastal Hawke’s Bay was entered by mobile phone users.

The Sir Ian Axford Memorial Camera's view of Napier at 9.30am on Sunday.

Power outages

A Unison spokesperson said at 1pm Sunday there were 583 customers without power across Napier and Hastings and 137 in Central Hawke’s Bay.

The spokesperson said all outages were caused by adverse weather conditions.

An unplanned power outage hit 72 households Frimley in Hastings about 10.45am on Sunday.

About 128 rural homes lost power just before 2am on Sunday in Te Onepu and Te Hauke and Poukawa.

Unison had managed to restore power to half of the homes by 8.30am, but around 64 remained without power at that time.

Trees had been reported down in some rural areas.

In Havelock North, a large tree fell over a driveway about 1pm, blocking a family in.

A large tree blew over in a gust in front of Joanna Gerding's house in Havelock North blocking her in. Photo / Joanna Gerding

Weather warnings

MetService updated its orange strong wind warning and issued a further orange heavy rain warning about 10am on Sunday.

The orange strong wind warning remains in place from 9am Sunday to 5am Monday and covers Hawke’s Bay and Taihape, but not Tararua.

Severe gale easterlies, especially about Mahia Peninsula, changing to severe gale northwesterlies Sunday afternoon or evening, gusting 130km/h in exposed places are predicted.

There was a moderate chance of the warning being upgraded to red.

Waves crashing on the beach at Te Awanga ahead of Cyclone Vaianu arriving in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Tracy Ormond

MetService warned the wind could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures.

It also warned driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the coastal hills of Central Hawke’s Bay south of Cape Kidnappers, as well as Wairarapa, from 11am to midnight on Sunday.

Between 70mm to 100mm of rain is expected about the coastal hills, with peak rates of 25mm to 40mm per hour possible in localised down pours on Sunday afternoon and evening.

MetService warned streams and rivers may rise rapidly, plus surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions possible.

A heavy rain watch is also in place from 9am to 7pm Sunday, and stretches from south of Tolanga Bay to north of Cape Kidnappers.

Periods of heavy rain were expected with large swells and coastal inundation.

There was a moderate chance of the watch being upgraded to a warning.