The Bay of Plenty and the Coromandel were worst hit by a storm front that now has Nelson and Marlborough in its sights.
While there was torrential rain and gale force winds, people heeded weather warnings and stayed at home limiting the damage caused.
One driver was lucky to escape unharmed after his truck carrying dangerous chemicals overturned north of Tirau.
The road between Tirau and Hamilton was closed and emergency staff wearing protective clothing and breathing equipment were brought in to clear the chemicals.
While it is not known whether high winds caused the accident, in nearby Te Aroha winds of up to 110km/h smashed windows and downed power lines.
On the Coromandel Peninsula torrential rain made driving hazardous, while 8,000 customers in Auckland faced power cuts for part of today, and for the first time in its history the Ellerslie racecourse had to postpone the $2.2 million derby day race.
Today is the last official day of summer. With rain and wind moving down the country it may seem like we have seen the last of the golden weather, but Niwa says we can expect a mild autumn with above average temperatures until May.
3 News