Severe thunderstorm watch in place for the North Island’s east coast

Residents of the North Island’s already battered east coast are again being urged to keep one eye on the sky.

MetService issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of Gisborne, northern Hawke’s Bay, the Bay of Plenty, and Taupō on Saturday.

MetService meteorologist Amy Rossiter said the watch area had been reduced by Saturday evening, and no longer covered the entirety of Hawke’s Bay – just the northern part of the region.

Rainfall in Gisborne was expected to be confined to the ranges, heading north-east, and was unlikely to impact the town.

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There was a moderate risk of thunderstorms for central and eastern parts of the North Island Saturday afternoon and evening which would bring localised heavy rain and small hail.

MetService said they were expected to be slow-moving, and consequently a moderate risk that some could become severe, producing localised downpours of 25 to 40mm per hour, or possibly more.

Rainfall of that intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, and make driving hazardous.

For the rest of New Zealand, there should be reasonably settled weather, apart from forecasts of rain and showers for anyone living on the eastern coastline.

“The wettest areas will be anywhere on the east coast with southerly wind flows bringing cold showery flows to all eastern regions,” Owen said.