Damaging winds kept emergency services busy in the lower North Island overnight, with almost 200 incidents attended in a five-hour period.
Severe gales caused mass flight cancellations, road closures and power outages throughout many parts of the country.
Between 6pm and 11pm on Sunday, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) attended 184 weather-related callouts.
Wind watchers have reported on social media that a gust hit 240 km/h at Cape Turnagain - just 10 kilometres off the highest-ever wind strength recording in Aotearoa.
MetService confirmed to Newshub the high gust struck at about 9pm on Sunday and "pretty close" to one of the highest wind gusts recorded.
High swells and rough sailing conditions forced the cancellations of several Cook Strait ferry services; however, it appears services resumed to normal on Monday morning.
The key link between the Wairarapa and Wellington, State Highway 2, Remutaka Hill has reopened after Waka Kotahi shut it just after 4pm on Sunday.
Much of MetService's weather warnings and watches covered lower parts of the North Island and many parts of the South Island, however most of those lapsed early on Monday morning.
FENZ Wellington district manager Nick Pyatt told AM on top of weather-related incidents, crews responded to several vegetation fires across Canterbury, Manawatu and Hawkes Bay on Sunday.
"Most of these were land management fires or burn-offs that got out of control because of the wind," Pyatt said.
"We had a number of structure fires as well, including a house fire in Paraparaumu and a number of grass fires."
Pyatt said the majority of the weather-related callouts were in Wellington, Kāpiti and the Wairarapa relating to lifted roofs, with some being blown off completely, as well as collapsed garages and carports.
"We also responded to a number of fallen trees and thankfully only a couple of flying trampolines."
He told AM as some Kiwis wake on Monday morning, FENZ may get further calls as they survey the damage.
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