Corrections officers are being housed at a five-star waterfront hotel in the Far North while on secondment to cover the region's short staffed prison.

A strong February has seen Northland's house prices hit a record median.

A union is linking a linesman's injury to its call on Top Energy to halt its plan to lay off 17 workers.

A man at the centre of a large search and rescue operation was last seen on Saturday.

A group of Far North women are preparing to harvest their first crop of hemp later this month.

Whangarei MP Shane Reti was one of about four people who helped community worker Carol Peters when she collapsed at Opera in the Garden.

The power-packed storm meteorologists have dubbed the "Tasman Tempest" dumped more rain on Auckland than typically falls for the whole of March.

An incredible 130mm of rain has fallen in the Coromandel Ranges in the past 24 hours.

This week's storm chaos has seen unsettled silt at water treatment plants, sparking a city-wide call to save two buckets of water per person, per day.

A power outage affected hundreds of Northlanders during wild weather yesterday. (Thur)

Rainfall levels 'off the charts' as upper North Island prepares for a second big drenching this week.

Friday night and Saturday morning weather predicted to be as bad or worse than Tuesday's downpours, Civil Defence warns.

An Air NZ flight has been hit by lightning as severe thunderstorms lash Northland.

The last section of Northland's Twin Coast Cycle Trail will be officially opened next week.

The Warkworth-Wellsford highway will now cost twice as much, but the Government says it is worth every cent.

Police warn motorists to slow down after crash closes SH1 at Hikurangi.

Several roads remain closed due to flooding, slips and fallen trees, specifically in the Kawakawa Bay and Clevedon areas.

Weather watches or warning are in place for most of the upper North Island as more rain is forecast over the week.

A jury trial for six men over the largest seizure of methamphetamine ever in the country will be April next year.

Breath-taking views are reward for a punishing hike, writes Stephanie Holmes.

Victim was "just helpless, there was all of us against her," says woman who was jailed for her part in May 2016 attack.

It'll be a beautiful day in most parts of the North Island today.

The vessel had issued a distress call after hitting the rocks, just north of Whangarei.

A horrific road crash between a car and truck has claimed the lives of two people.

Police arrest Northland pair after theft at Auckland's Starship Hospital.

Two Auckland teenagers are gutted after having their bikes stolen at Whangarei Falls on Sunday.

A stray cat found in a loose leg-hold trap has had to be put down.

The Government is failing in its duty by being too easy on lowlifes who terrorise and rob citizens of their hard earned money, a Northland dairy owner says.

The quad bike rolled at Wreck Bay Rd in Ahipara this afternoon.

Police say they do not know the identity of a Whangarei officer accused of sending explicit text messages to a young woman.