Heavy rain warning: Damp start to long weekend for region

Rain is set to continue to plague summer with warnings issued for Bay of Plenty and Coromandel for the start of the long weekend.

MetService issued the orange warning for heavy rain this morning for Bay of Plenty west of Whakatāne between 4pm Friday and 4pm Saturday and for Coromandel between 10am Friday and 10am Saturday.

The areas could see between 100 and 140mm of rain about the ranges and 60 to 90mm elsewhere.

Once the heavy rain eased, showers were expected through the rest of the weekend, MetService said.

A subtropical low lies to the northwest of New Zealand today through to Saturday, directing a strong and humid northeast flow across the North Island.

Rain is set to clear by Sunday afternoon for Bay of Plenty and Coromandel, but it would return on Monday.