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Some 115,000 homes are without power after torrential rain and strong winds struck the north of the country, isolating the Far North before moving into southern parts of Northland, Auckland and Coromandel.
Winds in excess of 140km/h are expected overnight in all three areas and police are advising residents to stay indoors and not use the roads unless "absolutely necessary".
A state of emergency was today declared in the Far North after strong winds and flooding after a month's rain in 12 hours.
The flood is considered a one in 100 year event with 254mm of rain in the Kaeo district alone.
Whangarei District also suffered during the afternoon, and by this evening the storm was hitting Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula.
The MetService warned the severe gales with "damaging gusts" and heavy rain that had prompted the Far North emergency could also wreak havoc further south.
"These conditions have already caused widespread flooding, slips and
road closures in Northland, and these conditions are likely in many
parts of Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula tonight," it said.
Power cuts
Vector Energy spokeswoman Denise Bailey said 65,000 customers were without power in the Rodney district, between Wellsford and Orewa, and about 25,000 were without power on Auckland's North Shore.
Vector said all available field staff had been called in to restore outages, but that the weather was making it difficult to work.
"Field staff are reporting conditions are in some cases too dangerous to work, with winds making it impossible to stand and therefore work safetly," the company said in a statement.
"There will be delays restoring power and some areas may not be restored until tomorrow."
Powerco said the winds and rain and caused outages to approximately 25,000 consumers on the Coromandel, Hauraki Plains and Piako areas.
It said it had brought in extra field crews as a result of MetService warnings but that the conditions "have been described by some of our veteran linesmen as the worst they have ever seen" and were forecast to deteriorate further.
Both companies have warned people to stay well clare of fallen power lines.
Meteorologists warned that driving conditions were likely to be "extremely hazardous" particularly in Auckland, and marine conditions on the eastern coast would be dangerous.
Flying debris
There were several reports of uprooted trees and flying debris and a number of boats blown from their moorings on the Waitemata Harbour.
Lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge were out and traffic delays were worsened when the median lane barrier was knocked out of alignment.
Police said wind also wreaked havoc in downtown Auckland.
"There are some corrugated sheets of metal blowing down 14 stories from the Rydges Hotel," Senior Sergeant Matt Rogers of Auckland Police said.
"It's lucky nobody has been killed or injured to be honest."
Further south, police tonight advised that State Highway 25 Thames Coast Road north of Thames and State Highway 25A north of Kopu Road were closed to all traffic due to flooding.
State of emergency
Far North Mayor Yvonne Sharp declared a state of emergency in the region at 4.30pm, saying damage was much more widespread than the 100-year floods in March.
"We've gone right across the Hokianga and up as far as Kaitaia, whereas before it was concentrated very much on the coast of the Bay of Islands," she told Radio New Zealand.
"We're hopeful that the worst of it has passed but we've got no assurance that that will really be the case."
Police Inspector Gary Hill said there had been a number of incidents reported to police this afternoon ranging from vehicle accidents to water rescues.
The Far North District Council said up to 30 communities could be cut off by floodwaters.
The towns of Horeke, Pawarenga, Mitimiti, Kaeo, Mangamuka and Rahiri have already been isolated.
Road closures
Numerous roads were closed throughout the Far North and Whangarei Districts by flooding, slips and downed trees, including State Highway 10 at Kaeo, State Highway 12 at Mangatoa and State Highway 1 at Rangiahua, Mangamuka Rd, Kamo Bypass and Poerewa Otiria Stream Bridge.
State Highway 1 at Waipu has been closed due to a tree falling across the highway, and the highway was also closed south of Whangarei.
Residents at Oakura on Whangaruru Harbour said the coastal highway north to Russell was cut by slips and all access south to Whangarei was also out.
An enormous slip on Helena Bay Hill which carried away the road in the March floods had not yet been repaired, and the rough alternative gravel route was knocked out by slips today.
An estimated 2000 to 3000 homes were without power in the Far North by midday, and by late this afternoon power was out in the Maungatapere area, the coastal area north of Pataua, south of Hikurangi and some parts of Whangarei city.
Residents of Maungakaramea, south west of Whangarei, were being advised to take water home as an outage had shut down the community's main water supply pump.
Whangarei Hospital also had power issues and was this afternoon using an emergency generator. Phone connections to the region were also being interrupted.
"We're bracing ourselves and expecting things to get worse," Whangarei District Council spokeswoman Ann Midson said.
Ms Midson said people in the district were being advised to go home and stay inside.
"If your life is in danger ring 111; if not, hunker down and try to sit it out."
She warned residents to be aware that floodwater was contaminated with sewage.
Welfare centres
The National Crisis Management Centre in Wellington has been activated because of the weather situation.
Civil Defence said the centre was monitoring the situation in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Welfare centres were being set up to help storm victims at the Kerikeri, Paihia, Kawakawa, and Kaikohe St John Ambulance centres and the Opononi Fire Station. Marae are caring for people in the Hokianga area.
Civil Defence said farmers in low-lying areas should already have moved stock to higher ground and the boat owners should have checked their vessels were moored safely and securely.
The department has also set up a special number for those needing help because of today's floods. The number to call is 0800 779 997.
At least two homes in the Far North were believed to have lost a roof due to high winds, a home at Totara North was damaged by a slip, and a number of sewage overflows were reported.
The Northland town of Kaeo has been particularly hard hit by the floodwaters, with water flowing up to a metre deep through its streets.
Resident Nigel Leslie said water in his house was up to knee-height and the flooding in the town was too deep to drive a vehicle through.
The Metservice issued an updated severe weather warning at 8.40pm.
It said torrential rain had eased over areas from about Whangarei northwards but heavy rain was expected to continue in Auckland and Coromandel.
It said a further 80 to 100mm of rain was expected overnight in Northland south of Whangarei.
Some 70 to 100mm or rain was expected in the Auckland Region overnight particularly north of Orewa and 120 to 150mm of rain in the Coromandel area. Strong winds are expected in all three regions.
- ANGELA GREGORY, NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA
