A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for the western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga.
MetService said its weather radar detected severe thunderstorms near Te Puke and Motiti Island around midday.
The thunderstorms were moving towards the west-southwest and were expected to lie near Te Puke, Paparoa and Paengaroa at 1pm.
They were expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain, which could cause surface or flash flooding and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) advised that as the storm approached, people should take shelter, preferable indoors away from windows, avoid sheltering under trees if outside, get back to land if outdoors on the water, secure loose objects, check drains and gutters are clear and move cars under cover or away from trees.
Meanwhile, MetService has a heavy rain watch in place for Coromandel Peninsula, Gisborne, and Hawke's Bay until Tuesday afternoon.
A strong wind watch was also in place for Taranaki, Nelson, Buller and Marlborough west of Wairau Valley, but excluding the Sounds, until Tuesday afternoon and for Wellington and Marlborough Sounds until Monday night.
The next update is expected at 1.52pm.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) advises affected people to take shelter indoors, return to land if at sea, and to secure loose objects.
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