Power restored in Auckland

Power was restored this morning to thousands of homes in the Auckland region blacked out by yesterday's storm.

Lightning, thunder, rain and wind gusts of up to 140km/h felled trees, damaged boats and cut power to more than 17,000 homes from midday onwards.

Several people were reportedly injured by flying debris, including a woman hit on the head by a flying signpost.

Hayley Bancroft, 25-year-old market researcher, escaped injury when gale-force winds when a tree crushed a car she was eating lunch at Paremoremo yesterday afternoon.

"I had time to swear and that was about it," she said.

Worst affected areas were the North Shore and Wellsford, 114km north-west of Auckland.

Auckland International Airport also recorded winds gusts of 100km/h.

Inspector Gavin MacDonald said the storm subsided at about midnight last night.

The wintry blast led to heavy snow closing the Desert Road which reopened this morning.

- NZPA