Emergency Services

Rural Support Trust says fatigue is setting in for storm-hit farmers still relying on generators, as efforts shift from animal welfare to human well-being.

As travellers return home from the long weekend, crashes have closed or backed up parts of the main highway.

Emergency services were called to the crash at Ocean View Road about 2pm.

Police insist they have a responsibility to victims and their families to thoroughly investigate road crashes.

Wild weather has helped fan flames in many areas of the country and a ban on open-air fires will stay in place until Monday.

Watch: Tuatapere was without power, phone or electricity for about 35 hours, until Friday night. Audio

Firefighters from the Howick station are on their way to the small boat off Waiheke Island.

Extreme winds have wreaked havoc across the lower South Island, where some face a week without power.

Transpower's network is fully operational, but power distribution companies have been hard hit.

Firegrounds at Kaikōura and Leader Road at Waiau were expected to be handed back to landowners on Friday.

Shards of glass went flying after gale force winds smashed a large house window in Featherston.

A small number of homes and luxury hotel Braemar Lodge were evacuated because of a fire around 4km south-east of the Canterbury resort town.

"We've still got quite a number of hours to go until we're out of the woods."

Four forestry workers were killed when their van ploughed into a truck and trailer in Kaingaroa Forest in 2019.

Two people have been injured in the crash in central Auckland.

Police said the crash happened shortly before 8.30am in Pyes Pa.

Schools and businesses are close closed as down trees close major roads in the region. Audio