Helicopter in emergency landing as Auckland battered

A boat caught in this afternoon's gusty winds at Bayswater Marina. Picture / Aaron Fletcher

A helicopter has been forced to make an emergency landing in Auckland's Mairangi Bay in wild weather conditions.

There was a flash of lightning just before the pilot elected to land his machine in the Windsor Park car park.

Eyewitness Graeme Wright of Wrights Outdoor Equipment Centre said he thought the chopper was going to crash into his roof.

He said the helicopter came in very low after a large flash of lightning and several bolts of thunder.

The North Island was set for a rough day with the MetService warning of gale force winds.

The high winds in Auckland were due to reach gusts of up to 120 km/h until late this afternoon.

For the rest of the upper North Island there were due to be strong winds mixed with heavy squally showers and thunderstorms.

MetService forecaster Andy Downs says these weather conditions are often seen when there is a deep low passing over New Zealand, causing unstable weather.

Police Inspector Gavin McDonald said lightning had struck several power poles on the North Shore early this afternoon, cutting power and causing delays on several roads with traffic lights out.

A United Networks spokeswoman said around 7000 customers had been without power for about an hour until around 2.30pm after a sub-station at Glenfield was affected.

The Fire Service had been busy securing loose cladding in central Auckland, and several trees were down on the North Shore, a police communications spokesman said. No injuries have been reported.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA