Cyclone causes chaos across New Zealand's North Island

Thousands of households and businesses across New Zealand's largest city of Auckland were left without power Tuesday as the tail of Cyclone June swept across the upper North Island.

Severe gales hit the city on Tuesday, with thunderstorms and heavy rain forecast to strike other parts of New Zealand later in the day, Radio New Zealand reported.

The winds had blown down trees on to roofs, roads and power lines.

A statement from the government's MetService weather agency said wind gusts across the top of the North Island were reaching 120 km per hour.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said strong southwesterly winds in the Auckland region were making driving conditions difficult.

"People do need to take extreme care and to be aware of the vehicles around them and any sudden movements due to the extreme weather," national journey manager Kathryn Musgrave said in a statement.

Radio New Zealand reported there had been no reports of injuries.