Wild weather: Power pole narrowly misses motorcyclist during strong winds in Tauranga

Strong winds brought down a power pole, narrowly missing a motorcyclist in Tauranga this morning.

Police were called to a power pole that had been blown over on Turret Rd in Hairini around 10.20am.

A police spokeswoman said it almost hit a motorcyclist, but no one was hit or injured.

She said the pole was blocking a lane but has since been moved.

People in or driving through the area are asked to “exercise caution”.

Meanwhile, Powerco crews are currently working to restore power to 275 customers in Maungatapu who lost power around 7.30am.

Powerco said in a statement a field crew was currently on site working to make repairs and reconnect customers.

It was not connected to the power pole brought down on Turret Rd.

“A site investigation is still underway but at this stage, crews suspect the cause to be a cable fault.”

In total, 680 customers were impacted, with 405 customers reconnected by 9.15am.

As heavy rain and wind bears down on the North Island, Powerco has been preparing by having extra crews on the ground ready to make repairs and restore power to customers.

Powerco has asked for customers to secure anything that could blow into lines such as trampolines, outdoor furniture and other loose items, such as sheets of iron.