As more brutal weather closes in on Auckland Vector has crews on standby for power cuts caused by gales and heavy rain.
Last night, a large-scale power outage over Pt Chevalier, Westmere and Ponsonby was caused by a fault from excess water caused by the weather.
Vector's head of network field services Marko Simunac said the power company is monitoring the weather and has crews ready to respond to any power outages.
He was responding to MetService advice for Auckland with the potential for heavy rain and southwest gales, becoming severe in exposed places.
Strong wind gusts have the potential to damage power lines directly or cause vegetation and debris to blow into lines.
Simunac said if the weather causes 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 can mean this can sometimes take more time than usual, he said.
"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."
The Auckland Music Theatre company was forced to cancel a performance following the power cut.
The 100 Years of Song concert, a showcase of a century of Auckland Music Theatre productions, was being staged at the Westpoint Performing Arts Centre.
In a post on Facebook, the company said health and safety for both audience and cast is paramount. Refunds are available through iTicket.
Further south, drivers passing through Arthur's Pass are being urged to exercise caution, due to snow.
State Highway 73 is experiencing snow showers, which are expected to continue.
Police say if snow begins to fall heavily later today, the road may close overnight.
State Highway 7 between Springs Junction, Reefton and Hamner is now closed until further notice due to snowfall.
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