Heavy rain warning for Eastern Bay

160314bf16 wet weather 16 March 2014 Rotorua Daily Post Photograph by Ben Fraser

MetService has issued a severe weather warning for the Eastern Bay.

A slow-moving front, preceded by moist northerlies, is forecast to bring a period of heavy rain to the Eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne from this afternoon through to early Tuesday morning.

The heaviest rain is expected about the ranges, where 90 to 120mm is expected to accumulate in a 12 hour period.

This amount of rain can cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly, slips and surface flooding, MetService warns.

Areas expected to be affected are from east of Whakatane and the ranges of Gisborne north of Tokomaru Bay.