Mount Maunganui Faces Major Outage, Disrupts Traffic Signals

Hundreds of households in Mount Maunganui have lost power due to a problem at a Transpower station, which also affected traffic lights and raised road safety issues around the area.

The Bay of Plenty Civil Defence reported that the power outage affected households in Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, and nearby areas.

In a social media post, they advised drivers to take extra precautions on the roads or avoid them entirely, warning that several traffic lights were out.

This is also disrupting traffic lights, so please be cautious out there or, better yet, stay off the roads if possible," the statement stated. 

They also warned people to prepare for possibly extended outages, advising households to check their emergency torches and have warm clothing on hand, especially as a heavy rain warning remains in effect for the region.

Transpower acknowledged that the outage was caused by a breakdown in its Mount Maunganui substation.

"Crews are working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible," the utility stated.

While they had planned to restore power by mid-afternoon, they warned that no specific timeframe could be guaranteed. 

Police said they had been notified of the traffic light outages and were addressing any concerns as resources allowed.

Residents are being urged to use caution and stay informed via official channels as crews try to restore power and stabilize road conditions.