Severe gales downed trees and powerlines across the region. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Hundreds of properties are still without power after severe gales ripped through Northland.
The wind downed trees and powerlines across the region overnight, lifting the roof off one home and flipping a truck and trailer near Dargaville.
At its peak, there were about 8000 customers without power, but on Friday morning that's down to nearly 500 - most of which are in Tinopai, a coastal settlement on the Kaipara harbour.
Northpower says it aiming to have power restored on Friday.
Chief operating officer Michael Gibbs told Morning Report a helicopter will help crews find the fault, and everyone should have their power back on by the end of the day.
"We are looking at nice, calm weather at the moment, so hopefully we can get out there and get it all fixed," he said.
Top Energy's website showed about 140 properties without power in the Far North, due to the high winds.
Fire and Emergency said it attended 11 weather-related calls in Northland, all before midnight.
Northland resident Brigid Roberts, who lives in Portland, south of Whangārei, told Morning Report she was driving on State Highway 15 when she came across a fallen tree.
That sparked what she described as a "wonderful chain of good-bloke ingenuity" to clear the road within 15 minutes.
"Someone dragged the tree off the road using an empty logging truck... a guy pulled out his chainsaw, chopped it up, and then another guy backed his digger off the back of his truck and cleared the bits off the road. And someone swept it and we were on our way," she said.
MetService said more settled weather was forecast for Friday.
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