Auckland is in for a wet and windy start to the week, with heavy rain, gales and possible thunderstorms forecast for today.

Bad weather that lashed the North Island yesterday left thousands without power and put the bite on the Taste of Auckland Festival.

A year ago, Typhoon Haiyan created a series of storm surges that left several thousand people dead and around four million homeless.

Blustery winds of up to 160km/h are ripping through parts of the country today, with a series of weather warnings and watches in place, MetService says.

Ferries were cancelled, roads were closed and thousands were without power in Auckland as a wintry blast blew through yesterday.

A tornado has ripped through Greymouth this afternoon, tearing off a roof and damaging up to 10 properties.

Conservation Minister Nick Smith is considering legal action after he was accused of trying to stop advocacy group Fish and Game from lobbying for cleaner rivers.

Auckland lines company Vector says it is still assessing the financial cost of last week's storm.

Wild winds brought down a large palm tree at a Whakatane property early this morning, narrowly missing the house.

A woman who was swept to her death in a flood-swollen Bay of Islands river was a 28-year-old mother from Wellington.

Rescuers trying to save people at a house party deluged by floodwaters were abused by those they were trying to help.

At least a dozen families were in a welfare centre last night after one of the longest and most damaging storms in years lashed the country.

Tonight will be the third cold night without power for thousands of households as more stormy conditions continue to batter the top of the North Island.

Thousands of people are still without power across the north following a severe storm which battered the country over the past two days.

The Government’s decision to allow harvesting of native timber felled by Cyclone Ita on West Coast conservation land is a “massive victory”.

Parliament is expected to pass urgent legislation to enable the recovery of native timber blown over in Cyclone Ita on West Coast public conservation land.

Wild weather is hardly unexpected this time of the year. Aucklanders have every reason to believe any problem arising from strong winds or heavy rain will be handled efficiently.

A 14-year-old was forced to walk home in a storm after his Hop card was blocked - but his father insists it had more than $20 credit on it.

Almost a week after a damaging storm, some Auckland residents were still without hot water last night while the last few houses were having their power restored.

A Titirangi resident says a live power line has been left on his driveway since Wednesday's storm, and Vector is responding sluggishly.