Tauranga city warning - 'stay away'

A storm system combined with a king tide has caused flooding around Tauranga. Photo/John Borren

Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council are warning people to stay away from key coastal areas as low lying roads are inundated by extremely high tides.

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence emergency management duty group controller Jono Meldrum says that while some parts of the region have overcome the worse of the storm, there are parts that are still affected by the weather conditions.

"It is currently high tide so some coastal inundation may be occurring, particularly in low lying areas. We urge people to stay clear of the beaches and avoid any unnecessary travel.

Tauranga City Council asks people to avoid:

- Oak Lane
- Harbour Drive
- Chapel Street near the Mobil petrol station
- Takitimu Drive coastal walkway/cycleways
- Turrett Road
- SH2 near Waimarino Park
- Te Puna Station Rd
- Memorial Park
- Commons and Grace Avenues at Mt Maunganui
- Maunganui Rd between Commons and Grace
- Welcome Bay Road
- Birch Street/Amber Crescent

The council also asks people to say off the roads unless they absolutely need to travel.