"They will be out again at first light to begin further repair work. Customers currently without power in Rotorua and Taupo are mainly in rural areas."
Unison's emergency crew continued to monitor damage to the network, isolate where possible and ensure safety on the network overnight.
Today 3300 customers in the wider Rotorua region experienced power cuts.
That included about 1000 in the central city, including businesses at Rotorua Trade Central.
Pita Pit manager Kruti Desai said her store was without power between 10.30am and 2pm.
"We kept our doors open so we could direct people to the Redwoods store which still had power. There were quite a few people coming it. It was a real shame, because it would have been quite a busy lunch rush for us.
"A lot of people who came in expressed their disappointment. The whole area lost power, not just us."
Image 1 of 21: A woman is dead after a tree fell on her car on Amohia St in Rotorua today. The tree damaged a building also. Photo/Ben Fraser
St Pierre's Sushi manager Yohanes Wijaya said they too kept their doors open during the power cut.
"It was out for about three hours. We weren't too busy, maybe 20 people came in during that time. We were able to keep trading, but using cash only."
The traffic lights at the Ranolf and Eruera St intersection, as well as those on Amohau St outside the Central Mall were down for about an hour, causing traffic to build up.
Unison brought in extra crews in preparation for the storm and had crews from Horizon Networks helping with Rotorua restorations.
Since the storm hit more than 12,300 customers across Hawke's Bay, Rotorua and Taupo have experienced power cuts.
Gough said high winds and vegetation blowing onto lines caused most of the problems.
He reminded customers to have a battery-operated radio and torch, a full gas bottle for cooking on your barbeque and a portable gas heater as part of their household emergency kit.
"First and foremost, be safe and never touch fallen power lines. Any one coming across downed lines should keep well clear of them and call emergency services on 111 or Unison immediately."
He said Unison appreciated the support of its customers.
"We have had lots of messages of support today and we really appreciate that and the ongoing patience of our customers."
In the Whakatane district, about 600 Horizon Networks customers were this afternoon affected by outages. These included Hallets Rd, parts of Manawahe, the area west of Mimiha Rd, Matata and parts of Galatea.
Known power outages are on Unison's website www.unison.co.nz/outages and customers are encouraged to visit the website or call 0800 2 UNISON (0800 2 86476) to stay up to date.
If the power is out ■Check for fallen or damaged electricity lines. ■Never touch wires or lines lying on the ground, hanging from poles, or objects such as tree branches that may be touching them. ■If you see a power line down, call 0800 2 UNISON. ■Medically dependant customers should let their retailer know and be prepared for power disruptions. If there is an immediate health threat, they should contact their health provider or call 111. ■Turn off the power at the main switch if you suspect any electrical damage in your home. ■If the power goes out, turn off all electrical appliances to prevent possible damage by a power surge when the electricity supply is restored. ■Remember that if the electricity network is damaged, it might take some time to get reconnected, so make sure you have a battery-operated radio, a torch, spare batteries, and a full gas bottle for your BBQ as part of your emergency kit.
