Storms forecast for the Bay

An active area of thunderstorms and torrential rain is moving in toward the upper North Island as a low is expected to hit the eastern region of the Bay of Plenty on Sunday bringing with it the possibility of heavy rain and thunder.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the band of heavy rain may break up in some area, as they tend to do when they move off the sea and onto land, but heavy downpours with thunder are expected overnight.

The upper half of the North Island has been hit with lightning and thunderstorms.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says areas most exposed are Waikato and Waitomo with Auckland and southern parts of Northland also expected to receive heavy downpours and a few thunderstorms.

“Looking at the satellite maps and live lightning tracker it looks as though the line of heavy rain, showers and thunderstorms will reach the west coast shortly before midnight then spread elsewhere.”

Philip says the Coromandel Peninsula, Great Barrier Island and Bay of Plenty may also have a few rumbles and heavy showers during Sunday morning.

He says the thunderstorms aren’t widespread, so not everyone will get thunder, but the lightning tracker has detected several areas of activity out to the west overnight.