Tauranga City Council is ensuring stormwater measures are in place ahead of heavy rain and thunderstorms predicted to lash the Bay of Plenty in the next 24 hours.

About 100 to 150mm of rain is expected with intensities reaching 30 to 40mm an hour at times from this afternoon through until 9am Thursday. Thunderstorms are also being forecast.

Tauranga City Council is checking stormwater drains ahead of forecast heavy rain.

A Tauranga City Council spokesperson says council stormwater and roading contractors are currently busy inspecting stormwater infrastructure and putting in place coping mechanisms for the wet weather.

Before heavy rain predictions contractors' check and clear debris from about 100 stormwater grates at 60 locations around the city, as well as 36 beach and dune stormwater outlets.

The checks are repeated after the rain to unblock anything the rain may have washed in, reports council.

Council is urging residents can do their bit ahead of the predicted weather by clearing leaves and debris from the gutters at their own properties.

'Keep an eye on the road gutters in your own area. Clearing the gutter of leaves and debris before and after each heavy rain event can make all the difference for you and your neighbours.

'Please don't ever sweep leaves off your property onto the road. That just creates a blockage and potential flooding issue for someone else.”

The MetService is issuing a severe weather warning for parts of the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel today.

'From late Wednesday afternoon, a more organised area of heavy rain moves southwards onto Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne; some intense rainfalls are possible in these areas tonight,” reports the MetService.

From this evening through to Thursday morning, rain is expected to be heavy at times with possible thunderstorms. In the 15 hours from 6pm today to 9am Thursday expect 90 to 120mm of rain, says MetService.

Rainfalls in these areas may cause streams and rivers to rise quickly, especially in locally heavy downpours where flash flooding is possible.