Near gale-force winds lashed the Western Bay of Plenty last night, with the region's young people expected to have to stay indoors for the first day of the school holidays today.
Heavy rain fell in the Kaimai Ranges, although the downpour largely missed coastal Bay of Plenty where only 1.8mm fell
at Tauranga Airport for the 24 hours to 8am today. The MetService said south-easterly winds gusted up to 50km/h last night, peaking about 3am and then gradually easing.
The Bay was on a wet weather watch for the rest of today as a deep low coming down from the north Tasman Sea made itself felt across the upper North Island while heading slowly south, with the brunt of the rough weather expected to be felt in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
Last night's rain was the first to fall on the city for this month and followed a wet May and June, where 249mm and 215mm of rain fell respectively.
May and June were preceded by the driest three months on record for the city since records began 113 years ago, when only 36mm of rain fell.
