The wind gusted to 133km/h and there were scattered rain bands, but Northland escaped the predicted sting in the tail for ex-tropical Cyclone June yesterday.
Possibly the biggest impact in Whangarei from the tired remnants of the Pacific cyclone was a fallen tree that held up traffic on Western Hills Drive.
No one was hurt and, miraculously, no cars hit when a strong gust of wind sent the melia tree (also known as a bead tree) crashing onto the busy road at around midday yesterday.
The tree blocked the northbound lane on the urban stretch of State Highway 1 near Percy St but traffic was able to pass on the other lane as contractors cleared the road.
One neighbour, Maria Unkovich, said she had been expecting the 50-year-old tree to take a tumble for years, and had notified the authorities several times about her concerns.