Bay of Plenty's Civil Defence authority is preparing to be inundated with heavy rain following the issuing of a severe weather warning.
The BOP Civil Defence Emergency Management Group emergency status was this morning updated after the Metservice warning, issued at 9.30am.
Bay of Plenty Rain is expected to becomeheavy west of Te Puke this evening and further east tonight.
Between 80mm and 100mm of rain is expected to fall from 9pm today to 9am tomorrow west of Te Puke. More rain is expected in the ranges.
In the 24 hours from midnight tonight to midnight Saturday, between 100 to 140mm of rain is expected to fall about the ranges with peak intensities of 10 to 20mm/hr likely.
The group warned people to take usual precautions and extra care while out and about.
Metservice stated rivers could rise rapidly and might produce localised surface flooding.
A complex trough of low pressure over the Tasman Sea is forecast to move slowly east across New Zealand over the next few days. A moist northerly flow ahead of this trough is expected to bring a period of heavy rain to northern and western parts of the North and South Island.
