Thousands hit by winds, power cuts

Winds whip up big waves in Marine Drive, Eastbourne. Photo / Mark Mitchell

It was the biggest storm in the world, and don't we know it.

After seven days of horrendous weather up and down the country, farmers and orchardists have been left counting their losses, while many homeowners are facing a big clean-up.

Weatherwatch.co.nz head analyst Philip Duncan said even areas that hadn't received wind warnings had copped a lot of damage.

The storm was characterised by powercuts throughout the country, strong winds and even flying trampolines.

Nearly 80,000 Powerco customers were affected by weather-related power cuts from Manawatu, Taranaki, Rangitikei and the Western Bay of Plenty and last Saturday 17,000 homes lost power.

Power was lost in Wanganui when a trampoline hit power lines.

A Vector spokeswoman said about 1250 houses lost power briefly in rural north Auckland when trees hit power lines in Puhoi and Dairy Flat on Tuesday.

As the storm was approaching it was labelled "the biggest in the world" because it covered an area roughly the size of Australia.

Parts of Auckland had winds of 154km/h last Friday, the same night that the roof lifted off a house in Clarks Beach on the Manukau Harbour.

Jean and Bob Squire told the Herald on Sunday they were home watching TV about 6.30pm when the wind struck.

"It was so unexpected," said Jean Squire, 79. "All of a sudden I just heard this terrible noise. We didn't even know the roof had gone, that's how quick it was and everything was just flying around like missiles in the air."

Half of their roof landed in the backyard, half in the neighbouring golf course.

Incredibly, the houses on each side were untouched.

A tarpaulin now covers their home of 15 years. They have been told it could be three months before they can return.

Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Peter Silcock said wind had damaged Bay of Plenty's avocado and kiwifruit crops as well as knocking out rows of shelterbelts.

"Avocado growers are just starting their export season and there's been a lot of windfall damage," he said.

Vegetable crops had also been affected.

"In Pukekohe I've certainly heard that potato crops have suffered wind damage that will affect their yield."

Wet weather was also preventing growers from planting vegetables, meaning crops such as squash and onions could be in shorter supply this summer. "That will affect supply, which will affect prices," he said.

But it was Southland that bore the brunt, with its stadium left in ruins and sheep farmers struggling to come to terms with stock losses.

The storm there was "unprecedented in severity and length", Federated Farmers said.

The region's president, Rod Pemberton, said it was still too soon to put a figure on the number of lambs that died during the big snow dump.

"I know of one farmer who estimates he's lost over 50 per cent of his lambs. That would be a couple of thousand."

He said many farmers wouldn't know the true impact of the storm for some days because the weather had been so bad they couldn't get out to their animals.

Farmers were being urged to seek help but so far few had taken up the offer, he said.

MetService severe weather forecaster Erick Brenstrum said there would be some respite for Southland farmers this week when warm northwesterly winds would help dry out the region.

Brenstrum said areas that had received particularly high rainfall last week were the northern slopes of Mt Taranaki, where 257mm fell in seven days, and the Crop River in the West Coast, where 225mm fell.