KEY POINTS:
Hurricane-force winds and heavy rain hit parts of the country yesterday. Gusts snapped power poles near Wanaka, and the Rimutaka Hill Rd, between Wellington and Wairarapa, was closed mid-afternoon after a car was blown into a bank and reports of trucks being shunted about by strong and unpredictable gusts.
Winds of up to 140km/h were recorded on the Wairarapa coast. Fiordland received 260mm of rain in 24 hours, and a heavy rain warning remained in force for the West Coast of the South Island and lower North Island last night.
The Milford Rd last night remained closed because of a high avalanche risk.
Up to 6000 people were without power after poles were snapped near Wanaka.
The Met Service said the worst of the weather would reach central New Zealand by midnight last night, with gales in Wellington and Wairarapa easing by the early hours of today.
The moist northwesterly front would bring heavy rain to areas south of Waitomo, including Taranaki and the Tararuas.
