Heavy rain warnings have lifted for Hawke's Bay as the clean up on the North Island's east coast begins.  

Roads were closed and people evacuated after heavy rain lashed the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions yesterday.  

Wairoa District Council says 400 properties have been impacted, more than 100 significantly.  

Wairoa Business Association Chair Sue Wilson told Mike Hosking that most main street businesses weren't impacted this time, but many others are.  

She says agriculture businesses are affected, with two major Angus Bull sales that were meant to be held this week. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

• Showers forecast to continue along storm-hit East Coast, flooding forces hundreds of evacuations
• Clean up begins after the East Coast's "wild spell of weather"
• 'We've got a long way to go': Torrential rain and flooding likely to batter East Coast overnight