Tauranga is bracing itself for blustery wet weather today with winds predicted to reach 100-130km/h from 3pm.

MetService reports strong winds in the Tauranga area from about 2.30pm with a chance of heavy rain as the low pressure moves in from the north.

Tauranga Bridge Marina staff check whether boats are secure ahead of blustery conditions. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

'As we head through the rest of the day there will be heavy rainfalls and strong winds. The winds will pick up to gale in the afternoon,” says Metservice communications meteorologist John Law.

'As we head into tomorrow the weather starts to ease and pull away to the east and change direction. But it will be a windy and wet start to tomorrow.

Tauranga Bridge Marina manager Tony Arnold is sending a simple message to everyone -'hold on!”

Marina staff spent the morning tying down anything they could get their hands on, including securing boats, rubbish bins, wheelie bins and signs ahead of the stormy weather.

'It looks like it could possibly get up to 50 or 60 knots. We have been clearing all the stormwater drains and tying the boats up. We are stowing it all down,” says Tony.

'We started sending out email updates to our berth users last Friday and have been tracking it since then. Everyone had the weekend to secure their boats.”

A Tauranga Coastguard radio operator says they cannot prevent boaties from taking to the water, but warns it would be very ambitious.

'We are aware of the conditions and they are too [the boaties]. If they wanted to go sailing they need to make a psychiatrist visit first,” says the radio operator.

'We simply give them the information and the decision is always theirs. We don't encourage it though.”

Coastguard broadcast the weather four times a day direct from MetService along with broadcasting Bay of Plenty weather warnings on their standard radio frequencies.

Currently at A-beacon, one of the monitored bouys towards Mayor Island, the wind is a south easterly 20 knots with a one metre swell expected to rise in the coming hours – making it very uncomfortable, says the operator.

Not only are boaties on high alert, motorists are being asked to avoid the state highways as strong winds intensify.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager, Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, is asking motorists to take extreme care and avoid travelling if they can.

'In adverse conditions motorists need to be careful along coastal strips, the Kaimais and three mile hill. Avoid these areas if possible,” says Ian.

'If people have to travel then they should reduce their speeds and keep a close watch for debris which may flow on to the road.”

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