Heavy rain pounding flood-hit Bay of Plenty

Bay of Plenty residents still reeling from flooding and slips over a week ago woke up this morning to heavy rain, thunder and lightning.

After devastating rain on May 18, nearly 800 homes were affected by flooding and slips in Tauranga. Hundreds of people evacuated homes in Matata, north of Whakatane.

Tauranga City Council communications manager Elizabeth Hughes told NZPA today residents and recovery workers alike would be waiting with bated breath to see what today's rain brought.

"It's going to worry us if it carries on because there's some threatening additional slips."

Met Service forecaster John Crouch said there was a band of heavy rain moving through the Bay of Plenty which could hit both Tauranga and Matata.

"It's moving through fairly quickly but we are expecting 20-30mm just this morning.

"That's probably coming in a three-hour period. Most of that rain should have moved off the Bay of Plenty by about midday today."

A few showers might follow, although they might also be heavy

Ms Hughes said they had already shored up many threatening slips and secured the worst affected houses against slips.

"Really it's just the potential for slips in areas that are already risky that we will be watching out for."

She said there was one house demolition scheduled for today but that might have to be delayed depending on the rain.

"I've just spoken to the recovery manager and he said if the weather gets any worse then they won't do it because it's one that's teetering on the edge of a cliff."

Yesterday door-to-door inspections in Tauranga found 11 more flood-affected properties that had not previously been reported.

- NZPA