Wellington Electricity says 260 customers in Porirua and Wellington remain without power after severe wind brought down trees and damaged electricity lines across the region.
The company expects supply to be restored to affected properties by Tuesday evening, following days of challenging repair work.
At the height of the storm, 36 high voltage feeders were damaged, cutting electricity to 21,000 customers across the wider region. Numerous low voltage lines and private property connections were also hit as windblown branches and fallen trees tore through the network.
Chief executive Greg Skelton said the scale of the damage had slowed restoration efforts.
“We are sorry that work to restore power is taking longer than expected,” Skelton said.
“The extremely gusty nature of the storm appears to have made it extra damaging.”
Crews from around the country have been working non stop since winds eased enough for repairs to be carried out safely. In some cases, greater damage was discovered once trees were cleared and sites were made safe.
Wellington Electricity teams will text and call affected customers before crews arrive to confirm next steps.
Around 150 follow up jobs are expected after Tuesday, as some connections have received temporary repairs to restore supply. Permanent repairs will be completed in the coming days.
The company is reminding residents that where private electrical work is required, such as damage to a line connecting a house to the network, a certificate of compliance must be provided before power can be safely reconnected.
Skelton thanked customers for their patience as crews continue restoration work.