Make sure to pack a rain coat and an umbrella today as rain has been forecasted to hit the Coromandel Peninsula today.

The MetService has continued its severe weather watch for the Coromandel, with periods of heavy rains expected to fall across the region from this afternoon and into Thursday.

A frontal system over the Tasman Sea is expected to move slowly east over New Zealand from tomorrow and is preceded by a strong northerly flow bringing periods of heavy rain and gales.

'People are advised that this is a developing situation,” says the MetService. 'Parts of this watch may be upgraded to a warning.”

MetService issues a severe weather watch whenever there's an expectation conditions may deteriorate within 24-72 hours to the thresholds specified for the issue of a severe weather warning.

A severe weather warning is issued if there's widespread rainfall greater than 50 mm within six hours or 100 mm within 24 hours, and widespread gales with a minimum mean speed of 90 km/hr or frequent gusts exceeding 110 km/hr.