Weather warning issued as storms move in

Shower and thunderstorm activity over parts of the North Island's northern and western coasts is bringing with it the risk of small tornadoes.

Motorists are being urged to drive to the conditions in the lead-up to the expected heavy rain.

Last week, frosts hit Rotorua, with temperatures dipping to -5degC, but this week forecasters say the cold nights will subside.

Instead, MetService has issued a severe weather warning for Rotorua, the Bay of Plenty and Nelson as a low over the Tasman moves across the country.

Forecasters predicted heavy rain last night and this morning, with more later in the week.

They said some places could expect between 100 and 150mm of rain overnight, with the heaviest falls today of up to 30mm an hour.

MetService forecaster Daniel Corbett said the weather would be patchy at times, but temperatures would generally be warmer than last week with the air coming from across the Tasman instead of the Southern Ocean.

"And in this case, the warmer air is organised into lines of showers and thunderstorms, with the first of these lines crossing much of New Zealand," Mr Corbett said.

"Shower and thunderstorm activity over parts of the North Island's northern and western coasts brings with it the risk of a few small tornadoes." He said from time to time this week, thundery rain and strong winds were likely to affect the north and west of both islands, as lows and fronts moved in from the Tasman Sea.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Chris McLeod of the Rotorua police highway patrol warned drivers to stay vigilant in the bad weather.

He said rain could make roads slippery and dangerous.

Mr McLeod said motorists were also likely to have impaired visibility because of heavy rain.

"Drivers need to remember to drive to the conditions and be extra vigilant," he said.

"People need to be extra careful, especially at intersections. They need to stop and check things a couple of times before they go."

Motorists also needed to keep their distance from other vehicles, reducing the risk of crashing if they needed to stop suddenly.

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