A thunderstorm warning remains in place as violent electrical storms pounded Auckland overnight leaving many without power for hours.
Deafening thunder and brilliant lightning woke many in west and north Auckland early today as a brief but fierce storm battered the city.
Some reported the booming thunder as the worst they had ever experienced with homes shaking after each clap.
Last night nearly 200 homes were left without power north of Auckland after strong winds and rain buffeted the region.
Vector said 182 households in Kaukapakapa and Kumeu had no power at 9.10pm but was back on again by midnight.
Overall, thunderstorms forecast for the upper North Island appeared to be less severe than expected.
Earlier, fresh thunderstorm warnings were issued by MetService for central and northern North Island regions.
These remain in place until noon today.
North Shore resident Karen Dallas was woken by the violent storm clap so loud it shook the house.
"Huge thunder storm in progress - Beach Haven Auckland. Thunder woke up the household with shaking lasting seconds. Don't remember experiencing anything like it before!" she posted on Facebook.
Auckland dodges weather bomb
WeatherWatch analyst Philip Duncan said isolated thunderstorms hit around 7pm in parts of Northland, but missed Auckland city.
"The front broke apart just as it came onshore, which happens 80 per cent of the time," he said.
"There have been some thunderstorms in northern rural parts of Auckland and really intense downpours, but Auckland city itself didn't really get them.
"But there is still the risk of thunderstorms around Whangaparaoa and the Bombay Hills. There is another wave of rain coming in behind this and there will be more across the night."
He said the cold front now had three cells - one between Kaitaia and Whangarei which was "pretty intense and could be producing pretty strong winds and hail", and two others between Whangarei and Whangaparaoa producing isolated downpours.
"We are talking three downpours pretty much across the entire upper North Island, and apart from that it's just normal showers. I don't believe it was worthy of the news coverage across today at all, although I do understand why that happened given the severe weather warnings," he said.
