High winds have collapsed roadworks off Albert St. Photo / Supplied
High winds have collapsed roadworks off Albert St. Photo / Supplied
Weather chaos struck Auckland overnight, with winds gusts reaching hurricane force in some areas.
High winds have downed power lines causing major outages, trees have hit houses and blocked roads, and an unruly trampoline has flown from one backyard to another.
Gales are currently gusting at between 90 and 120km/h across parts of the region, according to WeatherWatch.
And in Manukau Heads, winds have been recorded at 140km/h and above.
Asquith Rd in Mt Albert, Miller St in Pt Chevalier, and Royal Rd in Massey are all closed due to power lines being down, a fire service spokesman says. Power is also out on Phillip Ave and Shetland St in Glen Eden.
On the North Shore, a roof is lifting from a house in Manurere Ave, Takapuna and a large gum tree has crashed on a house in Hanlon Crescent, Narrow Neck. The road has now been closed and neighbours say they had been warning the council about the tree's shallow roots "for years."
Meanwhile in Henderson, a trampoline described by fire crews as "unruly" was lifted from a backyard on Larnoch Rd, and deposited atop a garage three doors down.
Roofing iron is reportedly flapping from many other buildings across the city, and in Huntly, a garden shed has been blown of its foundations and into a neighbouring property.
In Wellsford, 1000 homes remain without electricity and power is unlikely to be restored until tomorrow, according to Vector.
About the same number of homes are without power tonight in Titirangi, but it is hoped they will be restored by 11.30pm.
A yacht is washed up in a bay in Herne Bay Auckland as strong winds swept through the region. Photo / Gill Kimrich
In Auckland's CBD, Daniel Alexander said the high winds were causing chaos with road works signs.
"A lot of construction going on and signs have been blowing over, [so] we have tipped over signs on Quay St for pedestrian safety," he said.
Weather is lashing boats at their moorings in the Waitemata Harbour, and a yacht has been spotted caught up in overhanging pohutukawa trees in Herne Bay.
A fallen tree is blocking part of State Highway 1, between Puhoi and Mahurangi West Rd, with traffic down to one lane, the New Zealand Transport Agency reported.
Severe winds have caused chaos across Auckland tonight. Photo / Mowgli Buckingham
The road is congested and motorists are warned to expect delays.
NZTA also warned that motorcyclists and high-sided vehicles should take extra care on the Auckland Harbour Bridge tonight
The winds are expected to last until 3am, according to WeatherWatch.
MetService issued a severe weather watch at 8.30pm, for much of the North Island.
A low pressure system is expected to move across the centre of the island overnight, bringing with it a period of westerly gales.
