Bay of Plenty braces for thunderstorms and severe weather

More severe weather is on the way for Bay of Plenty.

MetService has a severe thunderstorm watch in place for much of the North Island, including Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupō.

A front, preceded by a humid and unstable northwesterly flow, is expected to move eastwards over the North Island today, the MetService release said.

Showers and isolated thunderstorms are forecast for much of the North Island, but
with more persistent rain about the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and Gisborne.

A second front is forecast to move northwards over southern New Zealand tomorrow, bringing rain to western areas including spillover into the headwaters of the Otago and Canterbury lakes and rivers.

A strong north to northwest flow precedes this front, and severe gales are possible in some areas.

Rotorua's forecast today is rain developing in the morning, heavy and possibly thundery, clearing in the evening as northwesterlies turn southwest. The predicted high is 20C and the low 11C.

Tauranga can expect rain, heavy and possibly thundery, clearing in the evening as northwesterlies turn southwest. The forecasted high is 24C and the low 14C.