Tairāwhiti/Gisborne & Hawke's Bay state highway update

Community update 1

15 February 2026

Kia ora koutou

We’re monitoring the weather situation closely in both regions as heavy rains and strong winds continue for Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay.

MetService has updated the wind and rain warnings for both regions this morning. These include:

• Strong wind warning for Gisborne and further north. Effective from midnight tonight to 7am tomorrow
• Strong wind warning for Gisborne and further south to Hawke’s Bay and Taihape. Effective from 5pm today until 7am tomorrow
• Heavy rain warning for Gisborne and further south to Hawke’s Bay, in particular the Wairoa district. Effective from now until 5am tomorrow
• Heavy rain warning for Central Hawke’s Bay. Effective from midday today until 9am tomorrow

You can view them here: https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home#east-north

While we are prepared and monitoring the situation, we encourage people to avoid travel if they can. Surface flooding, fallen trees and slips can happen quickly without notice.

We understand how important State Highway 2 is for the Tairāwhiti region. Crews are on standby in both Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, ready to respond if required.

However, road conditions can change quickly. Please be aware there is a possibility that we may have to close the state highways at short notice, including SH2 and SH5 in Hawke’s Bay.

Safety is our top priority. If we close the roads, it is for everyone’s safety.

If you're travelling on the state highways, please drive with extreme caution and check Journey Planner or Facebook before you go.

Please note that information in this update may shift at short notice due to weather or other unexpected factors. Information current as at 12:07pm Sunday 15 February.

Current situation

• SH2 Waioweka Gorge remains closed.
• SH35 Pōtaka to Taurangakoau Bridge, south of Te Araroa remains closed.
• SH35 Ōpōtiki to Pōtaka is open.
• The only detour route available is SH2 Gisborne to Napier/SH5 Napier to Taupō. This route is currently open, but we may have to close one or both at short notice.

Community travel information

Note: SH2 was closed earlier today at Wairoa town, at the Queen St intersection, due to a fire. Short detours were available for all vehicles. However, the road is now open again.

Remember to switch on your headlights on, increase your following distance and be prepared for unexpected hazards in these conditions.

Check Journey Planner or Facebook for the latest state highway conditions.

If you see any issues on the state highways, report them to 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)

Ngā mihi nui,

Tairāwhiti NZTA team