Heavy rain which hammered the Eastern North Island yesterday has eased this morning - and all roads in the area are open again.
Gisborne was particularly hard hit, with the rain causing the evacuation of more than 20 people, and forcing the closure of State Highway 2 northwest of Gisborne.
Smaller road closures also cut off rural communities, with more than 30 people at
Waipaoa Station left isolated overnight after rising floodwaters and debris buckled a bridge on the Waipaoa River.
But Metservice Forecaster Oliver Druce says the worst is over.
More than 280 mm of rain fell in the Gisborne area over the weekend and there was between 120 and 180 mm in Hawke's Bay.
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