Close to 100 millimeters of rainfall has battered parts of the Eastern Bay of Plenty this morning - with some houses flooding as a result.
MetService issued a heavy rain watch for parts of the Eastern Bay starting around 3am and drying up about 11am today.
Matatā, about 23 kilometres out of Whakatāne, got 93mm of rain between 5am and 11am and nearby town Thornton got drenched with 75mm.
Whakatāne and Opotiki both received between 30mm and 45mm as a result of the downpour.
Metservice meteorologist Andy Best said a slow-moving trough had been hanging around the top of the Eastern Bay of Plenty with a mixture of "moisture and warmth".