March 26, 2026

#weather: Thousands remain without power in Northland as outages continue to ease

Matthew Tukaki Posted On March 26, 2026

Thousands of households across Northland remain without electricity following widespread overnight outages, as crews work to restore power in affected areas.

At the height of the disruption, more than 5000 homes were disconnected, with a significant outage near Doubtless Bay in the early hours of the morning cutting power to around 4600 connections. The incident was one of the largest in the region and contributed heavily to the overall impact.

Electricity providers report that restoration efforts have made progress throughout the day, with the number of affected households in the Doubtless Bay area now reduced to about 2000. A further 200 customers in other parts of Northland are still without power.

Network operator Northpower has also reported a sharp drop in the number of outages across its system, with approximately 170 still active, down from around 800 earlier.

The outages come amid challenging weather conditions, which have increased pressure on infrastructure and slowed restoration efforts in some areas.

Crews remain on the ground working to reconnect affected homes, with priority given to the largest outages and areas where access is possible. Residents are being advised to stay updated through official outage maps and provider channels as work continues.

Authorities are also reminding communities to take care during ongoing disruptions, particularly where power loss may impact heating, communications, and access to essential services.