Fierce storm belts city

Heavy downpours have swamped road surfaces causing isolated flooding and powercuts throughout the Western Bay of Plenty.

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence is issuing another warning about severe weather with 100 to 200mm of rain and thundery downpours still to come in the Western Bay in the next 24 hours.

A downed tree narrowly misses a house in Ranch Road, Mount Maunganui today.

Tenix contractors work to repair powerlines at Te Puna.

Firefighters help repair a roof that has lifted on Maungatawa Lane off Truman Lane in Mount Maunganui.

The MetService is predicting periods of heavy rain to continue throughout the day with peak intensities of rain 10 to 20mm an hour, rising to 30mm an hour in possible thunderstorms.

In the 39 hours from 9am today to midnight Thursday 100 to 200mm is expected to accumulate in the ranges, especially east of Opotiki, says the MetService.

MetService reports 70mm of rain fell in Tauranga City from 9am yesterday.

Tauranga City areas:

Tauranga City Council advises an average of 57.3mm of rain fell across the city on Tuesday alone, with more rain and high intensity thunderstorms this afternoon.

Council logged 10 calls on Tuesday and overnight and six this morning on water-related issues.

'These were for minor ponding, debris clearance and blocked drains,” reports council.

The calls included some surface flooding on Cameron Road near Tauranga Girls' College, a trampoline being blown around on Papamoa Beach Road, and general minor tree branch issues around the city.

'Council contractors and emergency services staff are responding to these issues as they arise.”

Council contractors are inspecting the road network this morning and carrying out maintenance work as required. The city's water network is operational.

On the harbour:

Strong winds and rough seas have caused a number of boats to break free from their moorings. Read more about that here.

Mount Maunganui

Firefighters are also working on a roof that that has come loose down Maungatawa Lane at Baypark.

At Ranch Road in Mount Maunganui today a resident awoke to find a tree down blocking his driveway.

Scott Shrimpton woke this morning relieved to find a neighbour's tree narrowly missed his garage and house.

'The neighbour who is up the back came across about 6am and said there was a big crash so it didn't keel over till about then,” say Scott.

After not hearing anything personally, Scott called in a local landscaper and the fire brigade, who helpedchop and remove the tree within an hour.

Scott is relieved there is no damage to the house, just the fence the tree fell through.

'It was pretty well timed actually.”

Winds blew a Bayfair family's trampoline about 300 metres down the road into the driveway of another home early today.

Bridgette Irwin had to follow the leg poles and springs of the tramp up the road to find the 14foot tramp in a neighbouring property.

'Very lucky it didn't wipe out parked cars on street.”

A trampoline blown about 300m into another property at Bayfair. Photo: Bridgette Irwin.

Power Outages:

A number of areas are still without power including Omokoroa, Whakamarama, Kauri Point in Katikati and Te Puna.

As at 10am power is expected to be back on in those areas at 4pm today according to Powerco.

Powerlines are down in Te Puna where Tenix linemen are working to restore power.

High winds have damaged Powerco's electricity network in Coromandel and South Waikato, causing wide-spread power cuts.

Powerco Acting Electricity Operations Manager Phil Marsh says the first of the power cuts occurred around midnight.

A total of 14,000 customers have experienced power cuts through the night and this morning.

'Field crews are working to restore supply as quickly and safely as possible,” says Phil.

He said power lines that had fallen to the ground must be treated as live at all times.

'Stay away from any downed power lines and call Powerco's emergency number 0800 272727.”

To see more images from the storm across the Bay click here.

Earlier:

UPDATE 9AM: Power is out in the Western Bay of Plenty as strong winds and heavy rain lash the region.

There are reports of power lines down in Maketu causing an outage in the Paengaroa area.

Power is also out in Te Puke, Te Ranga, Rangiuru, Te Puna, Omokoroa and Whakamarama.

PowerCo contractors are working on restoring the supply to these areas and estimate it should be back on about 10am.

Power is also out in Katikati and has been since about 4am, a resident reports.

Tauranga Police say there are a number of partial road blockages due to trees down but all roads remain open as at 8.30am.

Police have received reports for Tetley Road at Tahawai, Omanawa Road in Tauranga and Pyes Pa Road outside the school. Also reports of a large boulder and a tree down on Poripori Road, Lower Kaimai.

Firefighters are also dealing with a number of trees and power lines down in the area.

A Tauranga Fire Brigade spokesperson says they have had numerous calls throughout night.

'It hasn't been too bad, just little things really. There have been a few trees and power lines down.

'I know Greerton attended a call for some domestic power lines down and the Mount dealt with roof tiles lifting. We were called to Te Puna to clear some fallen trees. We've been quite lucky really. I think Hamilton is getting the most of it being on the other side of the Kaimai Range.”

There are no reports of road closures in the region, but motorists are advised to travel with care as there is surface flooding on the roads.

NZTA says a section of SH36, between Te Matai Road and Dudley Road remains under a manned single lane control as engineers work to stabilise a slip that came down in April.

A severe weather warning remains in place for the Bay of Plenty as the MetService expects the low pressure system causing the wild weather to move slowly away from the North Island today.

'Heavy rain in a moist east to northeast flow associated with the low is expected to gradually ease over Northland and Auckland Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, but become focused about central and eastern regions of the North Island during Wednesday,” says a statement from the weather organisation.

'The heaviest falls are expected in Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, the ranges of Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, the Rangitikei District of Taihape and the hills and ranges of Wairarapa and eastern Wellington.”

In the last 24 hours, 16.4mm of rain has fallen in the region, according to the Te Puke weather station, with more rain expected to come.

Additionally, the low moving south over the upper North Island tonight, is expected to bring a period of damaging east to northeast gales with gusts of 120 km/h or possibly more to parts of Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato, especially eastern Waikato.

If you have any weather related photos, please email them to newsroom@thesun.co.nz

To see more photos of wild weather from readers click here.

Power Outages:

Te Puna

Out: 5.35am

Expected to restore by: 4pm

Areas: TE PUNA, WAIROA, WHAKAMARAMA

AINSWORTH ROAD, ALBERT LANE, ARMSTRONG ROAD, AVOCET AVENUE, BURNT OAK LANE, FAIRLIE GROVE, GILL LANE, HAYWARD ROAD, IANSON ROAD, LINDOCH AVENUE, LOOP ROAD, MATAHIWI ROAD, MUNRO ROAD, NEWNHAMS ROAD, OLD HIGHWAY, PARK LANE, QUARRY ROAD, SNODGRASS ROAD, STATE HIGHWAY 2, TE KARAKA DRIVE, WAIKARAKA DRIVE, WALLACE ROAD

Whakamarama/Omokoroa

Out: 5.40am

Expected to restore by: 4pm

Areas: BARRETT ROAD, GOODALL ROAD, JAMES ROAD, LAUREL DRIVE, LEYLAND ROAD, MARTHA LANE, MICKELLS DRIVE, ODEY ROAD, OLD HIGHWAY, PAPAUNAHI ROAD, PLUMMERS ROAD, PYES PA ROAD, ROSS ROAD, SINCLAIR ROAD, STATE HIGHWAY 2, TE TUHI TRACK, UNKNOWN (EASTERN), WHAKAMARAMA ROAD, YOUNGSON ROAD

Katikati/Kauri Point/Athenree

Out: 10.25am

Expected to restore by: 3.30pm

Areas: ATHENREE, KATIKATI, KAURI POINT, TAHAWAI, TANNERS POINT, AONGATETE, KATIKATI, TAHAWAI

Te Puke/Paengaroa/Rangiuru

Out: 5.41am

Expected to restore by: 4pm

Areas: PAENGAROA, RANGIURU, TE MATAI, TE PUKE, TE RANGA

ALLPORTS ROAD, BLACK ROAD, CASUARINA DRIVE, CASURINA DRIVE, CLARK ROAD, CONWAY ROAD, GRIDLEY ROAD, GULLIVERS ROAD, HALL ROAD, HUSE LANE, KARNER DRIVE, LEMON ROAD, LISMORE LANE, MALCOLMS LANE, MAUNGARANGI ROAD, MCKENZIE ROAD, MCMEEKING ROAD, OAK DRIVE, OLD COACH ROAD, PARTRIDGE LANE, PENDEREL ROAD, RANGIURU ROAD, ROYDON DOWNS ROAD, SHOWGROUNDS ROAD, STATE HIGHWAY 2, STATE HIGHWAY 33, STRANG ROAD, SUNSET DRIVE, TAUPATA ROAD, TE KAHIKA PA, TE MATAI ROAD, TUTEA PLACE, UNKNOWN (EASTERN), WILSON ROAD NORTH, WILSON ROAD SOUTH

JOHN BIRD ROAD, MAUNGARANGI ROAD, STATE HIGHWAY 2, TE MATAI ROAD, TE MATAI STREET

To find out more about power outages in the region click here.

You may also like....

4 comments

Wet weather

Posted on 11-06-2014 07:38 | By BeeG

I feel sorry for the boys at Tga Boys College. Whenever it rains, at morning tea they are left outside to fend for themselves,trying to stay dry. Where are the teachers, inside, having a nice HOT cuppa.


Shocking Weather

Posted on 11-06-2014 11:39 | By bopmum4

It is the same at Otumoetai College with the kids having to find shelter, not being allowed in their form classes. Teachers nice and dry in the staff room.....


Another trampoline

Posted on 11-06-2014 13:03 | By tish

left loose to fly around the neighbourhood in high winds. Why don't people take responsiblity for these things and restrain them before they damage property or worse? What would a person look like after being hit by one of those flying in the wind?


flooding

Posted on 11-06-2014 21:54 | By rosscoo

No mention of Oropi road closed due to water very deep as river raised due to high tide with rain as well. Oropi road rugby ground well under water again. This park rate payer has spent a fortune on new drainage system and has not worked. another council bungal.


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.