A severe weather watch is in place for parts of the Bay of Plenty.
MetService said a complex trough was expected to move across the North Island today, bringing a short burst of heavy rain to central and western areas. The trough should lie just north of the Coromandel Peninsula this evening.
The weather watch was for the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty, from about Rotorua westwards, where rainfall accumulations could approach short duration warning criteria (eg more than 50mm in 6hr).
MetService said the heaviest rain was expected between about 9am and 7pm and thunderstorms were also likely.
It was possible that in some places 20-30mm of rain could fall in two to three hours, which could cause localised surface flooding, especially in urban areas.
