Residents in the lower North Island are cleaning up this morning after yesterday’s storm.

In the Wellington region, roofs were blown off houses, fences were knocked down and there were power outages when southerly winds gusting to 120 kilometres an hour and torrential rain blasted through from the South Island during the afternoon.

On Mt Kaukau where the radio and TV transmitters are located winds reached nearly 150 kilometres an hour.

Rush hour was chaotic for commuters with surface flooding on the roads and trees falling across the tracks on the Lower Hutt train line, disrupting services.

On the Kapiti Coast, A Waikanae man is recovering in hospital after receiving a shock from downed power lines in Paraparaumu last night. The 62-year-old was directing traffic around the cables at the time.

Fine weather with northerlies and a high of 20 degrees are forecast for Wellington today.

– NEWSTALKZB