As per reports, a severe thunderstorm watch is in force for Hawke’s Bay from 1800 hours until midnight on Friday (05 January). While the risk of downpours drops overnight, thunderstorms and localised heavy rainfall were still possible in the region again on Saturday (06 January), according to the MetService.

Rainfall is forecast for most places between Friday and Saturday (05-06 January), mostly in the northern North Island, with thunderstorms forecast for the Bay of Plenty, Eastern Gisborne, and parts of Hawke’s Bay on Friday afternoon (05 January) and is not likely to reach warning-level but could cause localised downpours of heavy rainfall. Weather warnings can be accessed at https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home