UPDATED: Flooding, slips, road closures, power failures and phone outages are all possible for the Bay of Plenty this weekend as Cyclone Lusi crosses the country, warns the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.

Sandbags are available for residents to pick up from the Phoenix Carpark in Mount Maunganui, ahead of the weekend weather.

Colin Chase from Downer prepares sand bags at the Phoenix Carpark.

Tauranga City Council's Peter Mora is working with Downer staff to make sandbags ready for Mount residents to collect this afternoon.

A severe weather warning is in place for the Bay of Plenty with widespread heavy rain and easterly gales forecast to hit the North Island tonight.

From 6am Saturday until 6am Sunday, the Western Bay of Plenty is expected to receive 100-120mm of rain, according to the MetService.

Peak intensities of 15-20mm are expected on Saturday morning and afternoon.

Gale force winds are also on the cards, with severe gusts of 130km/h expected mainly about the ridges and areas just west of the Kaimais.

MetService communications advisor Dan Corbett says RSMC Wellington has now taken over regional responsibility for monitoring Lusi, currently a Category 2 tropical cyclone lying about 800km north of Cape Reinga.

The MetService tracking Cyclone Lusi as it nears New Zealand.

Lusi's speed of movement is about 3km/h, and on its current track is expected to pass just to the northwest of North Cape around midday Saturday. 'Even though Lusi has shown some signs of weakening, it's still a significant tropical system and one that still has the potential for severe weather,” says Dan.

'The heavy rain is likely to cause slips and surface flooding, and the severe easterly gales could make driving hazardous, lift roofs, and bring down trees and powerlines.”

Council:

Tauranga City Council has a storm response protocol which has been activated and completed.

Contractors have been checking and clearing debris from more than 100 stormwater grates at 60 specified locations around the city.

There are also 36 beach and dune stormwater outlets that will get checked as part of this process, says Mayor Stuart Crosby.

"These checks are repeated after the rain event to unblock any debris that has washed in from the storm. Critical trees have been checked, facilities and gutters checked and cleaned and any objects that could be affected by strong winds secured."

He says Tauranga City incident management teams joined representatives from Downers, WBOPDC and Emergency Operations Centre staff at a briefing this morning to receive the latest weather information on the event from the MetService.

"Briefings like this ensure that all agencies are on the same page and ready to manage whatever occurs. Welfare arrangements were also reviewed should evacuation of residents be needed.

"During the weather event contactors and the various TCC, WBOPDC and emergency operations staff will be monitoring the event, out in the field where needed and liaising with key response contractors and each other to ensure a coordinated response effort occurs.

"Additional staff are on standby, ready to be mobilised if the situation escalates."

In addition to the these arrangements Stuart says TCC and WBOPDC are supported by the Group Emergency Management Office which will also monitor the weather event and be available to provide response support and coordination to the region should the situation require a regional response.

Residents should phone the council if you think there is potential for flooding or tree damage in your street. All calls are logged and are sent to contractors to action as soon as possible where needed.

Civil Defence:

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence regional manager Clinton Naude says residents need to keep up to date with weather warnings, and get prepared early.

'People are encouraged to take steps now to prepare, such as check gutters and drains are cleared, secure items such as plastic garden furniture, rubbish bins and the children's tramp and remember the family pets.”

Civil Defence staff across the region are ready to respond and are tracking the path of the cyclone closely, says Clinton.

People can stay up to date at www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz. For advice about what to do before, during and after storms visit www.getthru.govt.nz

Farming:

Bay of Plenty farmers are being advised to prepare themselves, their stock and their properties ahead of the Cyclone Lusi, which is on its way to the region this afternoon.

Federated Farmers says farmers are encouraged to stay up-to-date with the latest MetService forecasts, warnings and watches.

'The heavy rain is likely to cause slips and surface flooding, and the severe easterly gales could make driving hazardous, lift roofs, and bring down trees and powerlines.”

Federated Farmers' quick tips says farmer should talk to their neighbours about resources and needs, should the worst happen, move stock out of the expected prevailing wind direction, check generators work with adequate fuel/lubricants to hand, and charge up every mobile phone you have 'as long as it takes a SIM it will work”.

Other tips include topping up bottles, jugs with potable water now in case the storm disrupts water supplies and checking household for torches and batteries as well as food.

In case power fails, Federated Farmers says farmers should ensure their barbecue has a full bottle of gas for cooking; 'ensure you have tarpaulins in case parts of your roof lifts in the wind – and if power does fail, use SMS text messaging instead of voice [calls]”.

After the storm, farmers are advised undertake a stocktake of their farm, looking for: damaged or highly strained fence lines; downed or leaning trees, including exposed root beds and take care or call in a contractor; damaged buildings, bridges or infrastructure and downed power Lines, or lines which are still on farm buildings or fences. 'Please treat all downed lines as live.”

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