Mini tornado and floods hit Bay of Plenty

12.00pm

The Western Bay of Plenty was hit by a mini-tornado, slips and power cuts as rain lashed the region overnight with warnings of more to come.

In the worst single incident, a conservatory was ripped off a verandah at 3am when what police described as a "mini-tornado" hit a house in Oceanbeach Rd, Mount Maunganui.

The rest of the neighbourhood appeared to escape damage.

The heavy rain and rising river levels have prompted Environment Bay of Plenty to issue flood warnings.

Flood manager Bruce Crabbe said that with Matahina dam planning to spill from midday today and more heavy rain forecast, people in the region needed to take real care.

Areas west of Kawerau could expect up to 100mm later today while those to the east would receive up to 140mm by midnight.

He urged motorists to stay off the roads today.

Rain also caused widespread surface flooding across roads, closed sports grounds and led to outdoor events like the Wellington race meeting at Trentham to be abandoned.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES