Weather: Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Bay of Plenty and Coromandel

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the Bay of Plenty, the Coromandel and the Hauraki Plains.

The watch is in place from 2pm to 10pm today and covers the Coromandel Peninsula from the Coromandel township southwards, the Hauraki Plains and the Bay of Plenty from Te Puke westwards.

Severe thunderstorms are possible, potentially producing intense downpours of 25 - 40 millimetres of rain per hour, MetService said.

The thunderstorms are expected to ease this evening.

Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips.

Driving conditions will also be hazardous, with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.

Meanwhile, Hawke’s Bay is today under a fresh heavy rain warning, with the cyclone-ravaged region set to be hammered by a 48-hour deluge.

The latest weather warning for Hawke’s Bay was this morning upgraded to an orange heavy warning, with the region expected to get up to 200mm of rain about the ranges and north of Hastings, including the hard-hit Esk Valley and Wairoa.

A fresh cyclone threat is also looming in the Pacific, which forecasters are keeping a close watch on.