Heavy rain watch for Bay of Plenty, conditions expected to worsen

The rain is expected to continue late into the night. Photo / File

Many Bay of Plenty residents would have woken up to hard pitter-patter on their rooves this morning as hard rain battered the region.

A heavy rain watch was put in place across the Bay of Plenty from early this morning through to the evening.

Metservice meteorologist Tamara Vuksa said the Bay received significant rainfall this morning with this expected to continue throughout the day.

A front was moving over the North Island today bringing widespread rain with the heaviest falls in the Bay.

The eastern ranges of the Bay of Plenty are expected to be the hardest hit.

The Kaimai Range received the most rainfall in the last 24 hours with a total of 32mm. Just behind was the Edgecumbe area that got 24mm.

Rotorua was hit with 16mm of rain and Tauranga had under 10mm.

However, Vuksa said this was forecast to worsen as widespread rain and possible thunderstorms were expected to settle in by midday.

Some parts of the Bay could expect about 10mm an hour.

Downpours west of Whakatāne were expected to ease by 10pm and east by 6am tomorrow.

The New Zealand Transport Agency have not reported any road closures at this stage.

FORECAST:

Tauranga: Rain, with possible heavy falls and thunderstorms by afternoon. Gradually clearing evening as northerlies die out. High of 18C, low of 11C.

Rotorua: Rain, possibly heavy, gradually clearing by evening as northerlies die out. High of 15C, low of 9C.

Whakatāne: Rain, with possible heavy falls and thunderstorms by afternoon. Gradually clearing evening as northerlies die out. High of 17C, low of 11C.