Source: Radio New Zealand
This Wellington Electricity map shows the extent of area where individual homes remain without power SUPPLIED
People are still without power across Wellington and the lower North Island, days after destructive winds and heavy rain tore through the region.
Wellington Electricity puts the current outages at over 1000, and expects most properties to have power back on by tonight.
It says crews have restored power to most customers, but have discovered secondary faults on some lines which are taking longer to restore.
The winds that struck Wellington on Sunday and Monday were the strongest in a decade, tearing down power lines down across paddocks, roads, and over people’s vehicles.
A tree had fallen on power lines on Hornsey Road in Wellington on Monday. Supplied / Caleb Gordon
Is your power still out? Contact ellen.odwyer@rnz.co.nz
Manawatū-Whanganui was also affected, with Manawatū district mayor Michael Ford saying PowerCo crews were trying to remove trees blocking roads so crews could get to the power lines.
As of this morning, 1,632 homes and businesses in Powerco’s area were still without power, including 679 in Manawatū, 638 in Whanganui, and 315 in Wairarapa.
Trees blown down on Mondayin the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Elliot Childs, an RNZ employee, said his family had been without power for two full days – and it had only just been restored this morning.
Childs said his house in Ranui, Porirua, lost power just before 5 am on Monday morning, and was restored mid morning today.
He said the outage had been “frustrating” without being able to cook anything, and use hot water for washing and showers.
“I’m lucky enough that work has let me borrow one of the big power banks that we’ve got here – so I managed to power the freezer off of that for a little bit – but yeah, it’s been very frustrating, and quite difficult.”
He said he was “very relieved” the power was now back on.
Wellington Electricity has been approached for comment on remaining outages.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
