Heavy weather has struck the Bay of Plenty this afternoon with a tornado tearing through Te Puna.

A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says a tornado has ripped through her property on Armstrong Road.

'We are near the Snodgrass Road end of Armstrong Road.

'Trees are in the dip.

'Trees have been uprooted.

'It's absolute chaos here.”

In photos supplied to SunLive, it shows fallen trees that are blocking railway tracks on Snodgrass Road.

As well as a tornado, hundreds of properties across the Bay of Plenty have been left without power this afternoon.

The Powerco website shows 247 properties have no power in Te Puke, and a further 147 properties in Whakamarama.

Although Powerco state the cause is unknown, it is expected to be from the bad weather across the Bay this afternoon.

The website states the estimated power restoration time for Whakamaramara is 7pm and 8.25pm for Te Puke.

Residents from around the Bay of Plenty have posted photos to the SunLive Facebook page showing the effects of the bad weather.