22 May 2021

Warnings issued as weather bomb expected to hit North Island

1:43 pm on 22 May 2021

A severe weather warning has been issued for eastern parts of the upper North Island, with heavy rain and swells expected to batter the area tomorrow.

Weather

File photo. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

MetService said it was being caused by a deep, slow-moving low northeast of the country, which was expected to reach "weather bomb" criteria.

It said a heavy rain warning was in place for Gisborne, north of the city, while the remainder of the region is under a heavy rain watch.

Meteorologist Tui McInnes said between 100 and 140 millimetres of rain was likely to fall from mid-morning tomorrow to mid-morning Monday.

Strong wind watches are in place for eastern parts of Northland, Great Barrier Island and north of Coromandel Peninsula.

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