Hundreds of homes in Pyes Pa and Pukehina are without power as a severe weather warning remains in place for Tauranga and Bay of Plenty.
PowerCo reported power outages for 590 properties in Pyes Pa at 8.21pm. Power is expected to be restored at 2.21am tomorrow.
Power to 154 houses in Pukehina was also cut off at 8.11pm and is expected to be restored at 12.30am. A site investigation is underway.
A severe weather warning remains in place for Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty.
MetService predicts a large complex low-pressure system is expected to move slowly east over central New Zealand during Friday and Saturday.
An associated front crosses the North Island, bringing a period of severe-gale northeasterlies and a burst of heavy rain to northeastern parts of the Island.
The strongest winds are expected in Bay of Plenty and Gisborne where northeast gusts could reach 120km/h in exposed places until midnight on Thursday.
Heavy rain is expected in Bay of Plenty and Rotorua until early Friday morning.
In the six hours from 8pm this evening to 2am Friday morning, MetService expects a further 60mm to 80mm of rain to accumulate in addition to what has already fallen. There are peak intensities of 20 to 30mm per hour.
Northeast gales are expected to be severe in the Bay, Rotorua and Gisborne, gusting 120km/h in exposed places, until about midnight tonight.