Battered East Coasters and some in low-lying parts of Hawke's Bay – already facing a mammoth clean-up from this week's devastating flooding – have been warned more heavy rain is on its way. 

The East Coast was the hardest hit by the storm that has lashed parts of the North Island this week; with hundreds of residents isolated by a succession of road closures, power outages continuing on Saturday morning, and at least one house being completely washed away by a swollen river. 

The East Coast area is under a heavy rain warning through to 10am Sunday. 

The heavy rains that hammered the East Coast turned farm paddocks into virtual lakes this week. Photo / Neil Reid 

MetService has also issued further heavy rain watches for areas south of Gisborne – which also suffered some flood damage midweek – and the Wairoa District. Both of these heavy rain watches are in place until 10am Sunday. 

Wairoa was cut off from Hawke's Bay for three days after floodwaters closed SH2 due to a succession of slips and road flooding. 

For both the southern Gisborne and Wairoa districts, MetService said the rain could intensify in the early hours of Sunday. 

Earlier, MetService said a "low to the east of the North Island is expected to move northwest and direct a moist southeasterly flow onto Hawke's Bay and Gisborne". 

Crews work on clearing a fresh river mouth for the Wairoa River, a move which reduced the potential for widespread flooding in Wairoa. Photo / Wairoa District Council 

"Rain is likely to affect these areas for much of the period and given the duration and persistence of this rain there could be significant impacts including slips, damage to roads and surface flooding." 

Rainfall warnings for the Hawke's Bay region – which has endured road closures, the washing away of a swing bridge and also a "boil water" notice in Waipukurau – could also be issued on Sunday, MetService said. 

More heavy rain is forecast for the Wairoa District, which earlier in the week saw the river running through the town, overflowing onto park and rural land. Photo / Wairoa District Council 

Sections of SH35 through the East Coast remain closed this morning. 

The Gisborne to Tolaga Bay leg is open, but then the Tolaga Bay to Tokomaru Bay andTokomaru Bay to Te Puia sections are closed. 

While motorists can now travel on the state highway from Te Puia through to Hicks Bay, there is no way through from there to SH35's end-point at Ōpōtiki. 

SH2 is closed near the Wharerata Rd lookout, south of Gisborne. And SH38 – an alternative route from Wairoa through to the central North Island via Te Urewera - remains closed due to a slip. 

- by Neil Reid, NZ Herald