Slips, fallen trees and flooding are “a real possibility” with more heavy rain set to hit the region.

A state of local emergency has been declared in Auckland as flooding swamps the region and a MetService meteorologist warns the most intense rainfall is yet to come.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel Peninsula.

The warning is in place for the Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, from 3pm today to 3am Wednesday.

Locals can expect heavy rain with possible thunderstorms, with 80 to 100mm possible.

Rainfall rates of 10 to 15mm per hour are likely, but could possibly be 15 to 25mm per hour during thunderstorms, MetService said.

The orange heavy rain warning for the Coromandel Peninsula was in place from 9am today to midnight. A severe thunderstorm watch is also in force for the peninsula with warnings of “a slight chance of a damaging tornado”.

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence said slips, fallen trees and flooding were “a real possibility” following the amounts of recent rain.

 “There is nowhere really for more rain to drain away, so please take extreme care on the roads and keep an eye on flood-prone and slip-prone areas.”

It urged people to make sure phones were fully charged in case of power outages, and to use the car radio if they didn’t have a battery-powered radio.

It said that all councils in the region were keeping a close eye on roads, surface flooding, and unstable land, and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council would be monitoring river levels and stop banks.

Rotorua Lakes Council asked that any issues and hazards were reported to the council on 07 348 4199.

Whakatāne District Council warned Eastern Bay of Plenty residents slips continued to come down across the rohe due to the ground saturated from last week’s events.

“If you live or work near cliffs and steep slopes (escarpments) keep an eye out for any instability.

“This includes movements of trees or the slope, cracks in the earth, ground slumpage, or dislodged boulders suspended in vegetation on the cliff face.

“If you feel unsafe, bunk down with friends or whānau until you feel safe to return.”

The council said they were still cleaning up slips, surface flooding and potholes, and were expecting more.

“Be sure to drive with caution when moving around the district.

”Our wastewater system could be put under pressure. We’ll let you know if we need you to limit use of your loo, washing machine, dishwasher and shower.”