Gusts to 160km/h in Hawke's Bay

Hastings fire service respond to a report of a line down in Hastings..

Gale-force winds sweeping Hawke's Bay are keeping emergency services busy, with a 160km/h gust recorded at Mahia Peninsula at 10am.

In Te Haroto, near the Napier-to-Taupo road, lines down on Waitara Rd started a grass fire at 10.15am and nearby on State Highway 5 in Te Pohue a truck rolled at 11.30am.

Police said there were no injuries in the truck crash but long delays expected as the truck was moved from a difficult position, closing the southbound lane.

Unison power lines company relationship manager Danny Gough said 140 customers were without electricity in Te Haroto and in Clive 70 were without electricity thanks to downed lines.

In Hastings' St Georges Rd shortly before noon a telephone pole was blown over.

At 12.40pm police responded to a report of a car blown off the road at the Pakipaki roundabout on State Highway 2 south of Hastings. An elderly dirver was taken to hospital with moderate injuries.

In Havelock North a grass fire was caused by downed lines and the fire service was also called to Eskdale where trees blocked a road.

Fires are reported in Tutira and Putorino.

MetService meteorologist Tuporo Marsters said the East Coast and Wairarapa were experiencing gale-force north-easterly winds, with the Mahia gust the strongest wind recorded in the country.

In Auckland the same weather system left 15000 Auckland homes without power overnight and a blew a tree onto a car, seriously injuring the motorist.