Vector is preparing for Cyclone Dovi to hit the Auckland region this weekend, with powerful, storm-force winds, bringing gusts of up to 120-140 km/h and the risk of widespread prolonged outages.

Vector’s General Manager Operations & Maintenance, Marko Simunac, said: “We are monitoring Cyclone Dovi and the forecast for widespread severe gales across the region, which could impact many of our customers.
“I want to reassure people we are arranging additional crews to be ready to respond, and have made preparations so they can be out repairing the lines as soon as it is safe to do so.

“Given Auckland is under the red traffic light setting, our crews are working with extra Covid-19 safety precautions in place, such as smaller crew bubbles. This helps keep our crews safe, but it could mean that outages take longer than usual to resolve.

“We will do our very best to minimise the impact of any outages on our customers, however, depending on conditions, there may be times when we need to stand crews down because of safety concerns.

“We’d like to thank Aucklanders in advance for their patience and understanding as our teams prepare to respond as quickly and safely as we can.

“We encourage everyone to check their phones, computers and other devices are charged, keep a power bank and torch handy just in case and be ready for the risk of prolonged outages. If your water supply relies on electricity, consider any preparations you could make now to cover a period with no power. For your safety, please stay well away from downed lines and call 111 if you see any.

“If you lose power, the fastest way to report it to us and follow restoration progress is through our Outage Centre on our website.”

Vector’s Outage Centre shows current and planned power outages and is accessible at vector.co.nz/outages. People can register their address and sign up for updates via text or email.
 
ENDS