MetService has issued an Orange Heavy Rain Warning for the western side of the Tasman District and a Yellow Heavy Rain Watch for the ranges behind Richmond and Nelson.

The overall rainfall totals are not high, but there is some potential for heavy falls in this event.

Therefore the major rivers of Golden Bay would not be expecting flows of any concern to be reached, they should all peak well below annual flood levels. However, the likelihood of short intense bursts of rain is high and this may impact small streams and cause surface flooding.

Timing of the main body of rainfall is likely to be in the early hours of Tuesday morning, followed by peaks in the lower river catchments of Golden Bay later Tuesday morning. There may be continued bursts of heavy rain throughout Tuesday also.

With a north-westerly wind direction and no low-pressure centres over the region, we would not be anticipating heavy wave action nor storm surge. There is a 3.9m high tide for Nelson at 2am on Tuesday.

Keep up to date with the latest MetService warnings here(external link).

If you're going to be on the roads during this time, it's a good idea to check the road conditions before travelling. Any relevant roading information can be found on this page.