MetService has this morning released rainfall figures for those hit by the deluge yesterday and some numbers are fairly impressive reports WeatherWatch.co.nz.

Whakatane received 150mm within 24 hours, but incredibly 70mm of that fell in just two hours – and 46mm fell in only 1 hour.

Hastings also received torrential rain with 34mm in one hour. 

Rotorua had a total of 122mm.

However the rainclouds eased in Timaru and other eastern parts of the South Island’s east coast overnight – but MetService says the rain clouds are running later than expected, but are still on their way.

200 to 250mm of rain is still forecast to fall before noon Wednesday.

WeatherWatch.co.nz weather analyst Richard Green says this is well over a months rainfall in just 24 hours and, if it eventuates, could be worse than the 1986 floods which inundated the area.

Satellite maps show a stream of rain clouds stretching from Southland to southern Hawkes Bay this morning then out to sea as far as the sub-tropics.

“This is a huge low” says Richard Green.  “The South Island’s east coast, especially between Dunedin and Banks Peninsula, is in for rough weather – strong to gale force winds and torrential rain developing as the day progresses”.

Meanwhile in the North Island heavy showers will today spread along the west coast of the North Island.

The centre of the low, which is west of Nelson, is being starved as moisture due to the South Alps, so rainfall along the North Island’s west coast has been fairly limited.

WeatherWatch.co.nz head weather analyst Philip Duncan says this afternoon the low will have two main centres, one moving down from the north to lie near Wellington and the other heading northwards towards Waikato.

“This means Aucklanders and others in the west between about Taranaki and Northland will see heavier showers developing and strong westerlies from lunchtime today”.

Mr Duncan says isolated thunderstorms may be possible.

And WeatherWatch.co.nz says residents across northern New Zealand need to be prepared for more torrential rain with yet another sub-tropical low on the way.  The low is likely to be intense enough to prompt rain warnings for regions which saw heavy rain last night and this morning across northern and north eastern parts of the North Island.