30 May 2024

Hundreds of North Island homes still without power a day after thunderstorms

9:27 pm on 30 May 2024
Powerlines down on Brougham St in Westport, live wires being cleared from the footpath.

More than 200 properties in Counties Manukau are without power. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Hundreds of homes in the North Island are still without power after this week's storm.

In Auckland, the outages include Muriwai on the west coast, the Waitākere Ranges, Pūhoi to Warkworth, and southern suburbs including Māngere, Whitford and Papatoetoe.

More than 200 properties in Counties Manukau and 180 homes in Coromandel, Waikato, New Plymouth and Palmerston North are without electricity.

Power provider Wel Network said its outages were mainly in the Raglan and Te Uku areas.

Crews were working through the night to reconnect as many as possible, but anyone not connected at the moment should prepare for a night without power, it said.

Some parts of Auckland recorded gusts of up to 120km/h on Wednesday and early Thursday.

It left large parts of Auckland without power - including Henderson Valley, Waitākere, Bethells Beach, Helensville, Parakai, Kumeū, Dairy Flat, Kaukapakapa, Waiheke, Whangaparāoa, and Ellerslie.

Vector had said strong gales across the Auckland region had blown trees and vegetation onto lines that caused damage and network faults.