More than 100 Coromandel homes are without power as Civil Defence staff and contractors this morning assess the initial damage wrought in the region by severe weather.

In Whitianga, 136 properties in the town of Whenuakite have been without electricity since 2am. The network company is investigating the cause of the outage.

Several roads in Thames-Coromandel district have been closed because of the storm.

The council says large slips have closed the 309 Road near the waterworks and Colville Road near Amodeo Bay.

It's hoping to reopen Port Charles Wharf Road, which has been blocked by fallen trees since last week.

The council has also received reports of flooding, tree fall, and slips along various sections of State Highway 25.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency reports that a section of SH25 is closed due to flooding.

The roading agency says the highway is closed between Opitonui and Orewa roads, about 1km east of Te Rerenga.

As well as Coromandel, wide impact is also expected in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay as the weather front that was originally known as Cyclone Hale fans out across the island.

MetService has issued severe weather warnings for Gisborne, Coromandel, Northland up to the Bay of Islands, Auckland including Great Barrier Island, and Hawke's Bay.

It forecast heavy rain, gale-force winds and storm surges. The rain is predicted to peak in most areas this afternoon.

In Tairāwhiti, between 200 and 250 millimetres of rain is expected through to 2am tomorrow, along with four to six metre swells.

Unpaved roads are closed, campers near the coast have headed home, and Tairāwhiti Civil Defence is asking people to check on their neighbours.

Gisborne District Council is urging extreme caution on the region's roads after several people were rescued when their vehicle became stuck in a flooded stream.

The council posted on social media that police and the fire service were called to help those trapped in the vehicle after severe weather hit last night.

Cyclone Hale is predicted to continue to lash Tairāwhiti and other areas of the North Island today.

Gisborne businesses are waiting to hear if unsealed roads will be reopened to trucks today.

Tairāwhiti Civil Defence announced the 24-hour closure, which kicked in at 8pm yesterday, because of Tropical Cyclone Hale.

Forestry company Ernslaw One has backed the decision.

Regional manager Bill Wheeler says workers were meant to return from holiday yesterday, but that has now been delayed until Thursday.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management controller Ian Macdonald says his region is expecting heavy rains and strong winds from tonight.

Emergency services are co-ordinating preparations and residents should stay home during the worst of the weather, he says.

-RNZ.