Heavy Rain Warning Issued Urging Caution from Civil Defence and Police

MetService has issued an orange heavy rain warning from 1:00pm Wednesday until 9:00am Thursday.

Between 180mm and 240mm of rain is forecast with peak rainfall of 25mm/h to 35mm/h.

MetService has said there is a moderate chance of the orange warning upgrading to a red warning.

MetService and Bay of Plenty Civil Defence are warning people that streams and rivers could rapidly rise and there will be an increase in surface flooding.

MetService said more slips could be possible and urges people to avoid low-lying areas.

It suggests people should clear their drains and gutters to prepare for the heavy rain.

Whakatane Senior Sergeant Cam McKinnon is warning motorists to drive to the conditions and avoid travelling where possible.

Crash numbers usually increase in wet weather so he is urging caution when driving. 

"We need people to drive courteously, safe following distances and increase them in the wet. Got to be mindful that the surfaces at times can be more slippery as well, so you've got to factor that in accordingly also." 

Increasing your following distance is important to prevent crashes he said.

"Police do notice that when we get a decent amount of rain coming through, suddenly crashes occur. Those crashes don't occur just through road conditions or the conditions themselves, it's actually quite a high percentage is related to the driving behaviour of the people, so to drive as you would on a sunny day, not taking extra caution, you're asking for trouble."

He suggests taking extra care and avoiding travel where possible. 

"Try to avoid travel if you can, given that the higher accumulation of vehicles on the road combined with, you've got to be realistic, the visibility decreases. It just does with driving rain, so increase your safety, safe following distance, lower your speed, and allow more time to get from where you need to be to where you're going."

Motorists should watch their speed also to reduce the risk of crashing, he said.