Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay residents are facing communication difficulties and are among those that had to evacuate in central New Zealand as Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread flooding.

The Ministry of Education says schools in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay will be closed for the rest of the week, unless parents specifically hear from their school that it is open.

A spokesperson for the ministry says telecommunications issues mean they have minimal information from schools in the two regions.

“The closures are likely to continue for the rest of the week as schools will need time to assess the impact, once safe to do so, and make decisions on whether they will be able to open this week or next, from a health and safety perspective.”

Defence Force, rescue services and private operators have rescued hundreds of people in Hawke’s Bay, where floodwaters rose up to rooftops.

Power is now mostly back on in the northern Hawke’s Bay town of Wairoa but its 8000 residents have no phone service, only one day’s worth of food and enough drinking water for two days, after the Wairoa River burst its banks.

An air force plane will fly over the town today to assess the damage.

A woman died in Putorino overnight, in northern Hawke’s Bay after a bank collapsed onto her home, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence said.

Thousands of people are out of their homes in other areas from Tairāwhiti to Hawke’s Bay and Tararua on the eastern coast, and Dargaville, Muriwai, Piha and Karekare in the west.

MetService said heavy rain would continue to hit central New Zealand until Thursday with high waves along the east coast.

Cyclone Gabrielle batters Hawke’s Bay: Rescued worker stranded for hours on roof as floodwaters rise