Rain is expected to ease this morning, says Cook Islands Meteorological Service.

With the heavy downpour experienced from 8am on Tuesday, the Met Office says the total rainfall reading for Rarotonga was 114.2millimetres as of 8am yesterday.

Weather office staff Manea Maretapu said this rain was expected to be around Rarotonga and Mangaia yesterday with the possible chance it might clear up later today.

“We still have this low pressure moving past us and that is why we still have rain and also hoping this rain eases later today (yesterday) or later tonight.”

The weather office could not collect any rainfall data for Mangaia as the satellite that transmits data was down.

So for now, no rainfall reading for Mangaia.

Meanwhile, cruise ship Paul Gauguin could not make it to Rarotonga yesterday due to the bad weather.

Emergency Management Cook Islands issued a warning on Tuesday afternoon stating that they were monitoring the weather conditions and forecast that was affecting the Southern Group islands until yesterday, especially for Rarotonga and Mangaia.

They had stated that high 36-hour rainfall totals of 200-230 millimetres could be experienced including some very heavy downpours at times up to 40 millimetres per hour.

The public was urged to be cautious of localised flash flooding, falling branches and trees, and be careful on the roads.