A severe weather warning remains in place for the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel area but the MetService expects the weather to improve by the weekend.

Flooding along the boundary of Route K in Tauranga City. Photo: Wayne Otten.

A moist easterly flow and rainband over central and eastern parts of the North Island is expected to weaken and move northwards tonight, or early Friday morning.

Meteorologist John Law says further periods of heavy rain are expected today about the Western Bay of Plenty, eastern parts of Waikato near the Kaimai Range, Coromandel Peninsula, and the hills and ranges of Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.

Tauranga has already seen 47mm of rain in the last 24 hours, while 140mm of rain has fallen in the Kaimai Range.

Another 50 to 80mm of rain is likely in these areas during this time, with 80 to 120mm possible about the Kaimai Range and northern Gisborne ranges.

The Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Manager Group is warning people in these areas to watch out for swollen rivers and streams, surface flooding and slips as well as hazardous driving conditions.

A total of 30,000 Powerco customers lost power yesterday with power still out in parts of the Western Bay of Plenty today.

Powerco Acting Network Operations Manager Dean Stevenson says field crews worked hard to restore supply to all but around 4000 of the 30,000 customers who originally lost power.

Extra field crews had been brought into the affected areas to help restore supply as quickly and safety as possible.

Read more about power outages here.

A large slip has closed State Highway 29 from Tauranga to Hamilton on the Kaimai Ranges. Police are advising people to drive with care on the roads and use alternate routes through paeroa and Waihi, SH5 and SH36 through Ngongotaha and Pyes Pa and SH33 through Rotorua and Paengaroa.

Read more about the road closures and updates here.

To view photos from around the region click here.