KEY POINTS:
The vicious winds sweeping the country headed further north today with Auckland's Manukau and Waitemata harbours the only recipients of gale warnings from the MetService.
The winds grew so bad that Manukau harbour and the western gateway of Onehunga Port were closed.
Pacifica Shipping's Spirit of Resolution was forced to sail around Cape Reinga to the main Auckland port for the first time in 17 years.
"For the sake of personnel, cargo and ship safety, it was decided to continue up the west coast and around the top of the North Island and discharge at the main Waitemata port," Pacifica chief executive Rod Grout said.
The diversion put them a day behind schedule.
Winds and showers are expected to ease over much of the North Island tomorrow morning but Northland, Auckland and Coromandel could catch the tail end of the system until Sunday.
"The gusts in these squally showers are reaching around 100km/h at times, breaking branches and making driving hazardous," MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said.
A southerly change was forecast to spread across the South Island on Saturday and the sun could make an appearance at the end of the weekend.
However, the southerly could "accentuate" the wind and rain between Canterbury and Wairarapa bringing gale force winds and snow to about 500m, Mr McDavitt said.
- NZPA
