WeatherWatch has advised a period of strong winds is expected in Auckland this afternoon and into the evening, with gusts over 100km/h possible and average speed just under gale force. 

Strong wind gusts have the potential to damage power lines either directly, or indirectly by causing vegetation and debris to blow into lines. 

WeatherWatch Head Weather Analyst Philip Duncan said: “Peak winds from the North look to be this afternoon between mid afternoon and early evening, then it turns North West. For the most part winds are below damaging speed but there will be some exposed areas that could see some impact.” 

Vector Chief Networks Officer Andre Botha says Vector is on high alert and prepared for any power outages caused by the weather. 

“Our response crews and storm management teams are ready to respond and we are actively monitoring the latest advice from WeatherWatch and our own data on network performance. As always, our objective is to do this as quickly as while ensuring the safety of our crews and the public. 

“We remind people to stay away from damaged electrical equipment and report issues by phoning us on 0508 VECTOR.  

“In the event that your power goes out, you can keep up to date with restoration work relevant to your specific address through our Outage Centre, available on vector.co.nz/outages”. 

Mr Botha said that if the weather caused any power lines to come down, Vector would remotely shut down power to that area as a public safety precaution until crews arrive on site. Bad weather and traffic conditions can mean this sometimes takes a bit more time than usual. 

“All lines should be treated as live at all times. If you see any damaged power equipment or power lines down, please keep a safe distance away and report it to us as soon as possible on 0508 VECTOR.”  

Mr Botha said that regular planned network maintenance over the coming days could be rescheduled if crews were required to respond to prolonged outages caused by the weather.  

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO BE PREPARED 

• Stay well clear of fallen power lines or damaged electrical equipment and treat them as live at all times.  

• Watch out for falling tree branches as these can cause damage to power lines.  

• Avoid possible damage to electrical appliances (in the unlikely event there is a power surge when the power is restored) by switching off appliances at the wall. 

• Keep a torch and spare batteries handy and ensure that you have at least one telephone that does not rely on electricity for operation.

• Ensure that an alternate fuel is always available for cooking (e.g. gas for BBQ).  

• If you have an electric garage door, prepare how you can gain entry to the garage another way so you have access to your vehicle. 

• Tie down objects on your property that may be impacted by strong winds (ie: trampolines, BBQ’s and BBQ covers). 

• Take extreme care if you are driving in poor weather and delay trips if possible. Do not drive through floodwaters. 

• If you are on tank water please ensure you have plenty of bottled water available. 

• If a planned outage for network maintenance has been advised in your area over the coming days, be aware this could be rescheduled depending on impacts from the weather 

• If life or property is at risk, call 111.