Traffic delays are being reported on State Highway 2, north of Tauranga this afternoon.

Callers to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline say traffic is crawling as motorists travel between Waihi and Katikati.

Traffic delays are being reported around the Western and wider Bay of Plenty. This photo was taken at Tanners Point Road intersection. Photos: Elaine Fisher.

One caller said they had been stuck in traffic for a couple of hours as they attempted to make their way from Waihi to Tauranga. They had only made it as far as Katikati when they called.

A reporter who lives in Tanners Point says slow moving traffic is banked up to north of Tanners Point turn-off from SH2.

'This is around 10km north of Katikati and it appears traffic is backed up south of the town as well,” says Elaine Fisher.

'Katikati's single set of pedestrian traffic lights appear to be compounding the problem by further slowing traffic.”

Elaine says motorists in the que are leaving in some cases quite big distances between vehicles, 'no doubt concerned about the risk of nose to tail collisions caused by traffic travelling at around 100kms suddenly finding almost stationary vehicles in front of them”.

There are also reports of a crash outside ASB Baypark where a bus has rear ended a vehicle.

A witness to the accident says the crash is blocking one of the lanes outside Baypark.

Heavy rain and strong winds are still being predicted for the Bay and motorists are being warned to drive with care.

In the Eastern Bay, powerlines are down in Awakeri following a crash SH2/SH30 junction that heads to Opotiki.

Emergency services are at the scene and ask people to drive to the conditions.