Trees in Miramar were toppled in the extreme wind on Sunday night. FENZ said the Wellington suburb was one of the worst hit. Photo: RNZ / Soumya Bhamidipati
Strong winds across the central and lower North Island overnight tore off roofs, knocked down trees and fences and smashed windows.
The severe gales, which forced the cancellation of flights and Cook Strait ferries, reached near record gusts in the lower North Island.
Fire and Emergency (FENZ) Central Region said crews attended 164 weather-related calls between 6pm and 11pm on Sunday.
They dealt with roofs blown off, smashed windows, trees coming down onto powerlines and fences being knocked flat.
FENZ said Kāpiti Coast, Wairarapa, Wainuiomata in Lower Hutt and Wellington's Miramar Peninsula appeared to have the most damage, though there have been no reports of injuries.
"The south coast of Wellington and the west coast took the brunt of it as well as some of the exposed areas around [Wellington suburbs] Johnsonville and Newlands," FENZ Wellington district manager Nick Pyatt told Morning Report.
"This one really did pack a punch. I don't think we've seen winds like this probably in 10 years or so."
A couple of roofs were torn off completely in Mirimar and Porirua, windows were blown in and carports and garages damaged, he said.
A collapsed fence in Miramar after strong winds swept through the capital. Photo: RNZ / Soumya Bhamidipati
Multiple flights to and from Wellington Airport were cancelled on Monday morning, following cancellations on Sunday night.
Cook Strait ferries were operating on Monday but passengers were warned to expect rough conditions, with large swells predicted for some sailings.
The Remutaka Hill Road north of Wellington, where wind speeds reached 185km/h, has reopened. However, Waka Kotahi is advising drivers to take extra care.
Belinda Milnes, who owns a farm at Pigeon Bush on the Wairarapa side of the Remutaka Hill, described how she could not stand up in the gales.
A stable block was picked up and thrown 50m and the roof of a pump-shed was ripped off, Milnes said.
While 120km/h winds were not uncommon in the area, this was "wild", she said.
"You literally couldn't stand up, you couldn't get out of the truck, you couldn't open the doors - if you open the doors you're going to lose the doors.
"It's been very, very intense - we're very glad to wake up to calm this morning."
Multiple flights to and from Wellington Airport were cancelled. (file image) Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
At one point overnight, nearly 7000 properties in Lower Hutt lost power. By 10am, some 1500 properties in the lower North Island were still without electricity.
In the South Island, State Highway 6 reopened after being closed by a slip and fallen trees north of Franz Josef.
El Niño change
The front brought wind speeds nearing the national record to the lower North Island.
Cape Turnagain on the eastern coast had a gust of 246km/h between 8pm and 9pm on Sunday.
The highest recorded wind speed in Aotearoa was 250km/h at Mt John in Canterbury in April 1970.
MetService forecaster Allister Gorman said gusts in the Wellington region were 130-140km/h and on the Remutaka Hill reached 185km/h.
Election hoardings across the political spectrum took a beating from strong winds in the Wellington suburb of Miramar on Sunday night. Photo: RNZ / Soumya Bhamidipati
FENZ's Nick Pyatt said the extreme wind strength was leading in to what the spring and summer would be like with the change to El Niño.
The advice was to secure loose property - only one or two trampolines went flying last night, so the message seemed to be getting through, he said.
There would be a heightened risk of fire with a dry season forecast, and FENZ was asking people to be careful about when they burn and follow the advice on the Checkitsalright website.