Blackout in Auckland

Thousands of Auckland homes and businesses were still without electricity this morning after a substation fire cut power to dozens of suburbs, Radio New Zealand reports.

The fire along a 200 stretch of underground cable at the Penrose substation early yesterday morning cut power about 85,000 homes and businesses.

Retailers were forced to shut up shop, petrol stations could not pump, traffic lights were out at about 140 intersections, and hospitals and rest homes ran on back-up generators.

Power was restored overnight to all St Heliers, all residential customers in Mt Wellington and half of Remuera bringing the number of properties without electricity to 18,000 from 39,600 last night.

Vector said this had been done by spreading the load over the network and some of these customers may drop out for a time again during peak demand this morning.

Parts of the city still without power included St Johns, Orakei, and the Sylvia Park area. Most traffic lights were working again this morning, some powered by generators.