Severe weather watch sparks wet week ahead

If you haven't already got the umbrella and gumboots at the ready, you will probably want them at hand as forecasters warn of rain for the entire week.

Metservice issued Severe Weather Watch for the Bay of Plenty yesterday.

Heavy rain is expected to fall in the region from today and into tomorrow.

An active low over the north Tasman Sea is expected to move south, spreading a moist northeast flow over New Zealand and bringing rain to many northern and central areas of the country.

Rain is forecast to fall in Tauranga until Friday, when it is expected to turn into showers which are forecast to continue until Tuesday.

Northeasterly winds eventually turn into gusty easterlies on Wednesday before dying away on Thursday and being replaced by Southerlies on Saturday.

Temperatures hover around the 17C-18C mark with the lowest overnight temperature expected to reach 11C on Thursday.

The weather watch comes days after Niwa released its seasonal outlook for winter in the Bay of Plenty, which predicted it to be warmer and wetter than last year.