The four household contacts for the person who was reported as testing positive for Covid in Tonga yesterday have now all returned negative tests.The contacts, two in Wellington and two in Christchurch, are all self-isolating and…

Test your brains with the Herald’s afternoon quiz. Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz for the morning quiz tomorrow. To challenge yourself with more quizzes, CLICK HERE.

By Gill Bonnett of RNZ A couple who set up a business in New Zealand have been described as a threat to national security because of their link to Chinese intelligence services. They denied they were spies, but were rejected…

More than 100,000 Victorians remain without power after freak wind storms lashed the state yesterday, bringing down trees, powerlines and wreaking havoc on hundreds of homes.

The winds – of nearly 150km an hour – were the strongest seen in Victoria in more than a decade, and left a path of destruction across much the state.

Authorities say many could be left without power for days, as emergency crews scramble to attend to all the calls.

READ MORE: Dramatic moment powerline and tree collide in Melbourne storm

Emergency services described the devastation as "utter carnage".

Victoria State Emergency Service (SES) Commander David Baker said there have been close to 5000 calls for help across the state since Friday morning, with a number yet to be tended to.

"We had about 4,800 jobs or requests for assistance over that period," he told Weekend Today.

"Many impacted areas are through the Bellarine Peninsula, the Mornington Peninsula into Gippsland and parts of the Dandenong Foothills.

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"We are down to about 12 to 1300 of those still outstanding, with a really focussed effort today into the morning Peninsula area to try and clear those jobs up."

At the height of the storms yesterday, more than half a million properties were without power.

READ MORE: Hundreds of thousands without power after freak storm ravages Victoria

At the peak of the storm, gusts reached 145 kilometres an hour.

A tree collapsed onto train tracks in Glen Waverley and another struck a bus in Narre Warren.

READ MORE: Woman narrowly avoids being hit by loose boxes as winds in Melbourne intensify

Mr Baker said that the SES are working in partnership with the fire agencies, councils and power companies to get help to people who still need it.

There are currently between 300 to 400 SES crews and firefighters on the ground working to clear away debris, but Mr Baker warned that "some of the more complex jobs may continue on through the weekend".

An Auckland GP is calling on the Government to urgently allow frontline workers to receive their third dose of the Covid vaccine.Dr Roy Knill, GP and director of CityMed in Auckland, says primary care workers in New Zealand need…

A brave Wellington teenager’s decision to go public with her inoperable cancer diagnosis has broken through the ceiling and helped raise awareness about brain tumours. International Brain Tumour Awareness Week starts today and Jemima…

Police have arrested a man and seized two firearms after gunshots were reported in Māngere East this morning. Police said they were called to Yates Rd shortly after 10.30am.A witness said a man, believed to be a King Cobra…

Some visitors to Yosemite National Park in the USA this week were delighted to see a glowing ribbon of water that looked like molten lava cascade down Horsetail Fall on El Capitan.

Horsetail Fall doesn't usually flow at this time of year, but the recent severe storms that swept through the area brought it surging back to life and created the phenomenon known as a "firefall."

The "firefall" usually occurs on clear evenings in late February when the setting sun shines through the fall at just the right angle. The event is such a big attraction that Yosemite required online reservations earlier this year to limit crowds.

READ MORE: Morrison 'respects' submarine deal disappointment in call to French president

Park officials said in a Facebook post on Monday that the Yosemite Valley got more than 6 inches of rain in a 36-hour period and that a few feet of snow fell at higher elevations.

Edgar Le, who was visiting from Rochester, New York, told CNN it was "extraordinary" to see the "firefall" on Tuesday while hiking near the Yosemite Lodge.

"Like looking at a stream of lava purging down from the top of the El Capitan," he said. "Seeing the Firefall is more than a miracle to me as a landscape photographer."

San Francisco creative director and photographer Scott Oller heard the "firefall" might be visible on Tuesday, so he left work at about 1pm and made the drive to Yosemite. He told CNN that he got there with about 45 minutes to spare.

Mr Oller said he saw the "firefall" for the first time in February after several failed attempts in previous years.

READ MORE: Hundreds of thousands without power after freak storm ravages Victoria

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"The "firefall" is one of the most surreal things I've ever seen," Mr Oller said. "It's almost like watching a total solar eclipse or something, you just freeze up in awe."

He said he found a pullout area about 2,000 feet from Horsetail fall where he could park and get out his gear.

There were only about 10 other people there, which is a lot less crowded than his previous trips.

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"In the winter there's just an endless sea of tripods," Mr Oller said.

Mr Oller said that many of the people he saw seemed to be surprised tourists who pulled over their cars because they were amazed by what they were seeing.

"It seems unbelievable that that could even happen and it just keeps getting better and better as the minutes go by," Mr Oller said. "The light turns from gold to fiery orange to a faint pink. It's unreal."

The heavy rain also caused water to roar over the 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls.

There are 160 new community cases of Covid-19 today – a record number of daily infections in the current outbreak. Of the new cases, 151 are in Auckland, seven are in Waikato, one is in Northland and one is in Canterbury, a statement…

The moment a live powerline hit a tree, causing a firey explosion in Melbourne has been caught on camera.

The dramatic vision, filmed by a motorist and uploaded to social media platform TikTok, has shown a tree becoming tangled in powerlines during extreme winds, before bursting into flames and exploding.

A number of cars can be seen beneath the powerlines.

READ MORE: Hundreds of thousands without power after freak storm ravages Victoria

It is not known if there were any injuries as a result of the explosion.

A huge clean-up is underway after winds up to 146km/h destroyed homes, uprooting 100-year-old trees and knocking out power.

More than 5,000 people called for help while more than 100,000 homes were still blacked out this morning.

READ MORE: Woman narrowly avoids being hit by boxes in Melbourne

Authorities have said that wind gusts that strong have not been seen in over a decade.

Emergency crews have now focused their attention on a massive clean-up effort, which may take days.

Weather warnings are now over, with sunshine and showers and a high of 16C today.

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