Wild storms lashed New Zealand's North Island on Monday, claiming at least four lives when a fishing vessel sank and causing chaos in the country's biggest city Auckland, AFP reported, citing officials.

Two people went missing after a fishing charter went down off the remote Northland coast late Sunday, while five survivors were reported to be stable in hospital after being rescued, the police said. 

The military said two air force planes and a naval warship were assisting a huge search effort to find the missing pair.