A Bay of Plenty couple had to be rescued after waking to find a flash-flood had washed away their truck and trapped them in their Galatea home.

Northern fire communications shift manager Scott Osmond says after discovering their predicament the couple contacted family members who raised the alarm with emergency services shortly before 7am.

Debris in the Eastern Bay followiung flash flooding this morning.

The couple's Troutbeck Road home became isolated by flash-flooding caused by heavy rains in the area overnight.

'After receiving the call, fire along with police were dispatched to the scene,” says Scott.

'Due to the amount of flooding in the area and the debris we were unable to reach the couple so Search and Rescue were brought in.”

But in a stroke of good fortune, Scott says a Galatea local used his tractor to reach the couple and they were eventually rescued at about 8.30am.

The Whakatane District Council is advising that Troutbeck Road is closed due to flooding, while a digger is currently clearing one lane on Ruatahuna Road following the heavy rains.

Motorists are also being advised that stop/go management is in place on Galatea Road near Waiohau as contractors work to clear a tree and slip caused by the rains.

Council is also asking motorists to use caution when travelling on Peace Street in Whakatane due to surface flooding.

This morning MetService issued a thunderstorm watch for the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel with downpours of rainfall measuring up to 40mm expected.

The forecasters have now lifted a heavy rain watch for the western Bay of Plenty and Coromandel. A heavy rain warning is still in force in the eastern Bay of Plenty until mid-afternoon Friday.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is monitoring lakes and rivers in the region as heavy rain continues.

It has issued warnings for the Kaituna, Whakatane, Waimana and Waioeka/Otara Rivers, which continue to rise, with people in rural communities around these rivers being advised to move low-lying stock to higher ground.

The council has advised Trustpower to open the spillway at the Matahina Dam to manage rising lake levels.

This release will increase river levels, and warnings have been issued. This process began at 11am.

Bay of Plenty lakes have also filled up overnight. The Okere Gates have been opened to alleviate lake level flows but the Kaituna River is still sustainable for rafting.

In the past 24 hours, the Western Bay of Plenty has received 70-100mm of rain. The Rotorua lakes received 90-100mm, Whakatane River 50mm, upper Rangitaiki/Galatea 100-130mm, Opotiki rivers 70-100mm and East Cape 260mm.

Principal engineering surveyor Graeme O'Rourke says the lake and river level rises are due to a stationary front overnight that brought more rain than anticipated.

'BOPRC continues to monitor the situation and will issue warnings as appropriate. We have staff on the ground in the affected areas. We will keep the community informed as the situation progresses.”

Another few hours of rain is expected in the Eastern Bay, with a heavy rain warning still in force until mid-afternoon.