10.57pm:Contractors have been deployed to clear several trees which have come down due to strong winds hitting Rotorua.
Residents are urged to avoid unnecessary travel while severe weather continues to hit Rotorua, which is sweeping across part of New Zealand including Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Gisborne and parts of the South Island.
Trees have come down and surface flooding has been reported in the following areas:
Te Waerenga Rd - Tree down across road Tarawera Road & Okareka Loop Rd - Tree down across one lane Tiwha St - Tree down Okere Rd & Te Akau Rd - Tree down across road Oturoa Rd - Tree branch across one lane SH 5 - 10 minutes south of Rotorua - Tree is blocking northbound lane Totara Rd (Ngakuru) near one lane bridge - Tree down across road Poutakataka Rd - Rocks & Boulders across road SH30 - Tiketere Hill - Surface flooding Tarawera Rd - Between Forrest Place & Tokorangi Pa Road - Tree down across one lane Tarawera Rd - Between Blue Lake Holiday Park & Tarawera - Tree down Apirana Rd - Near the Marae - Tree down across road Fryer Rd & Hamurana Rd - Tree down across westbound lane Tauranga Direct Rd - Surface flooding about 50m north of Dudley Rd
If you have reports of a fallen tree, slip or flooding, please let Rotorua Lakes Council's Customer Centre know by calling (07) 348 4199.
Te Teko area from Edgecumbe to Waiohau excluding Kawerau; Otakiri, Awaiti South, Hallets Roads, and Parts of Murupara.
Power supply to 1488 customers in the Galatea, Kaingaroa, Minginui and Ruatahuna areas has been restored at 10.10pm.
There are also 78 customers without power in the Emerald Glade, Poihipi Rd and Tukairangi Rd areas of Taupo.
8.41pm:
Reports of a tree down on Tarawera Rd. If you need to report any weather related issues, like fallen trees or flooding, call the Rotorua Lakes Council Customer Centre on 07 348 4199. If you need information about power outages call Unison on 0800 286 476 or visit www.unison.co.nz/outages.
8.22pm:
Kelly in Hillcrest said a neighbours tree has come down and broken her fence.
"Got the firewood in came inside heard this oh mighty crash and the tree next door had come down and taken out our fence! Now we have a big tree lying on our back lawn"
7.24pm: According to the MetService website 19.1mm of rain has fallen in Rotorua since 6pm with winds up to 48km/h.
According to the Unison website 577 customers are without power in the Kinloch area near Taupo.
This trampoline went flying down Lake Rd. Photo/Supplied
Unison is reporting more power outages on Haumoana St, Koutu Rd and Tiwha St with about 75 customers without power.
It looks like power is back on at Lake Okareka after about 750 customers lost power there about 5.30pm.
And in the eastern Bay, Horizon Networks said a significant part of the Whakatane, Ohope, Thornton, Matata, Taneatua and Ruatoki street lighting network is out of action "due to the failure of an item of plant".
Tree down closes road on Tiwha St in Koutu. Photo/Stephen Parker
The company is working with the supplier of the product to source replacement parts and a further update will be provided.
It is not yet know if the storm had anything to do with the outages.
According to a Koutu local, the trees brought down power lines on Tiwha St.
According to the Unison faults website, 764 customers at Lake Okareka have been without power since 5.45pm and a further 199 customers in Hamurana and Kaharoa have been without power since 5.30pm.
A branch down in Basley Rd in Lynmore. Photo/Supplied
It is estimated that power will be back on at Okareka about 7.45pm and at Hamurana/Kaharoa about 8pm.
Rotorua Daily Post Facebook readers have reported trampolines flying away in the high winds and there have been reports of standing water on some roads in the district.
Eariler today, it was reported that Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty will cop the brunt of the nasty weather this afternoon and into tonight.
MetService has issued a severe weather warning for the region with heavy rain and strong winds forecast.
