Heavy rain watch issued for region east of Rotorua

Heavy rain could be on the way to the Bay of Plenty.

MetService this morning issued a heavy rain watch for the Bay of Plenty east of Rotorua.

The watch is for heavy rain between 9am and 9pm tomorrow.

MetService said from Monday to early Friday, moist northwesterlies with a number of embedded fronts were forecast to affect the South Island, bringing periods of heavy rain to northern and western areas of the island.

A trough embedded in the northwest flow is expected to cross the North Island during Tuesday, bringing a period of heavy rain to the Bay of Plenty and strong or gale north to northwest winds to Taranaki, Wellington and Wairarapa.