Repairs underway to restore customers' power

Powerco field crews are on the ground in Manawatū, Tararua, Wairarapa and Whanganui regions working to reconnect customers without power following gale force winds.

Gusts of up to 153km/h were reported in the lower North Island overnight on Sunday, with 2,900 without power overnight.

As of 10am, there were 1,827 customers without supply. Manawatū, Tararua, Wairarapa and Whanganui have been the worst affected, with most outages caused by trees falling through lines.

Latest outage numbers:

• Manawatū/Tararua 1,110
• Wairarapa 411
• Whanganui 132

Conditions are expected to ease throughout the day and additional crews have been dispatched to the affected areas.

This morning, crews have been out surveying the damage to the network. Helicopters are being used to assist where possible, which helps to identify the exact locations of outages, such as where trees have come down. Using helicopters also assists in crews identifying the resources needed to make repairs, such as whether arborists, earthmovers or replacement equipment are required.

Crews will be prioritising reconnecting the high-voltage, main power lines, which enables the restoration of a large number of customers at once. Following that, they will move to fixing low-voltage lines, which connect individual homes.

It’s important to note that, while crews will be working as quickly and safely as possible throughout the day, depending on how the work goes, there may be some customers still without supply overnight tonight.

If you see lines down, to stay safe, treat them as live, stay well clear and phone our emergency number 0800 27 27 27.

Customers wanting up-to-date information about power cuts can go to our power outage webpage or contact their electricity retailer (the company you pay your power bill to).

If your outage is not visible on our outage map, you can fill in the form on this webpage, or phone the company you pay your power bill to report it.