Metservice is warning the Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions of very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms starting overnight and continuing all through tomorrow.
Photo: Unsplash / Daoudi Aissa
An orange rain warning has been issued for the regions.
MetService says the rain has the potential to be an "extreme event" and people are urged to keep up to date with advice in case the warnings are escalated.
Gisborne and Bay of Plenty regions are likely to get over 200 millimetres of rain, and possibly at torrential speeds of 45 millimetres an hour.
In Bay of Plenty, the rain will start around midnight and a little later in the East Coast.
Hawke's Bay can expect 100 to 130mm of rain to accumulate from 10am Wednesday, but 130 to 200mm north of Napier. Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h are expected.
Potentially significant rain event
— MetService (@MetService) March 21, 2022
❗ A band of rain fueled by warm, subtropical air brings the risk for areas of significant flooding in Bay of Plenty and Gisborne from Wednesday.
There is the potential for upgrades to a Red Warning.
Details https://t.co/qHyE5zzql5 pic.twitter.com/wzzqk1YqTG
Metservice forecaster Ashlee Parkes says this level of rain could well cause problems.
MetService says heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.
A heavy rain watch is in place for Taupō and Tasman west of Motueka.
Meanwhile, parts of the Wellington region were hit by torrential rain and hail, with big seen downpours in Porirua, on Tuesday evening.
Flooding seen on a street in the Wellington suburb Brooklyn after a bout of heavy rain on 22 March, 2022. Photo: RNZ / Paul Thompson
