More extreme weather in central New Zealand

Wellington last experienced extreme weather like this in July, the South Island more recently, in September. Winds gusted up to 100 mph

Storm thumps central New Zealand

Flights and ferries cancelled, power cut, tumbling scaffolding sends pedestrians fleeing.

NZ Herald,

15 October, 2013

There were narrow escapes as wild weather lashed the lower North Island yesterday - ripping roofs from buildings, blowing cars over, shattering windows and sending scaffolding tumbling into the path of pedestrians.

Power was cut to thousands of houses and flights were cancelled in and out of Wellington, affecting 3500 passengers.

But, while many residents will be left facing a major clean-up today, there were no reports of any serious injury despite gusts exceeding 130km/h across parts of the South Island and lower North Island.

POWER STILL OUT TO 1800

The winds knocked out power to thousands of homes in Canterbury, Manawatu and Wairarapa.

While repair crews worked frantically yesterday and through the night, managing to restore power to many customers, at least 1800 homes in the North Island still have no electricity.

Lines company Powerco, which supplies electricity to properties in Wairarapa, Manawatu and Wanganui, said staff from around the country were helping with repairs.

In Canterbury, lines company Orion said about 200 homes in west-Christchurch were still without electricity.

Crews were expected to have them back online today, a spokesman said.

CARE NEEDED IN WELLINGTON

At the height of the storm, windows were shattered in Wellington and fences and outdoor furniture flung across yards. In some areas fallen lines set trees alight, while motorists faced numerous narrow escapes.

Four shipping containers were blown over in the gales. The incident at Wellington's CentrePort was witnessed by chef Martin Bosley.

"I was in the restaurant and I heard this loud crashing noise and I looked across the harbour just to see three or four containers getting just blown over," he told Radio New Zealand.

Centreport chief executive Blair O'Keeffe confirmed that four containers had fallen down, but none had gone into the sea.

A number of pedestrians in the capital had a narrow escape when two-storey-high scaffolding collapsed on Willis St.

Ferry Hendrikx witnessed bits of plywood torn from the construction site being blown about "like bits of paper in the wind" and said the sight was "quite incredible".

He said the structure came crashing down within a matter of two to three seconds, as passersby ran for safety.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean warned residents to be careful when travelling around the city this morning.

"The extreme winds that hit the city yesterday had rapidly abated by midnight and there is hardly a breeze in the city this morning,'' he said.

Motorists, motorcyclists and cyclists should watch out for fallen trees, slips and debris on roads around the city.

"There have been reports of windows blown in by the wind late last night at several sites around the CBD, so there may still be broken glass on some footpaths,'' Mr MacLean said.

"Willis Street in the CBD is now open to buses and other traffic following rapid work overnight to make safe the construction site where a large scaffolding structure collapsed about 4.30pm yesterday at the height of the storm. A large digger was used to demolish and flatten the partly collapsed structure overnight.''

PLANES BACK IN THE AIR

Three flights were cancelled at Wellington Airport this morning.

A spokesman said the three flights - two arrivals and one departure all scheduled before 7.30am - had been cancelled last night.

Cancellations to flights yesterday disrupted the travel plans of 3500 people.

Wellington Airport this morning said weather was not expected to be a problem today.

FIRE SERVICE: QUIET NIGHT AFTER FRANTIC DAY

The Fire Service also had a relatively quiet night, after a frantic day yesterday.

Central communications shift manager David Meikle said officers responded to about a dozen weather-related calls, all before midnight.

One involved a truck being blown over on the road between Dannevirke and Norsewood. There were no injuries, he said.

In the South Island, Mr Meikle's colleague Brent Dunn said there were no weather-related calls after 7pm.

CHAOS FOR WAIRARAPA MOTORISTS

In Wairarapa, a trailer unit was hurled on to its side and a motorist who had just dropped her young daughter at daycare was left shaken and covered in glass when her windscreen shattered.

Jill Willmott of Featherston felt lucky her 3-year-old wasn't in the vehicle when it "just exploded" during a big gust, as some of the glass hit her face and neck.

"I've never experienced anything like that."

Mrs Willmott said it felt like the car was going to lift up when the gust hit.

Freightline Transport driver Pat Mulligan faced a harrowing few moments of terror as his trailer unit was hurled on to its side as he drove south on State Highway 2, near Mt Bruce.

"It happened so quickly," he said. "I'd just slowed down, buttoned off a bit. I was going to stop and open the curtains, then I felt her go.

"It was on an angle. I thought the whole truck was going to go. It happened in slow motion ... It's pretty fierce winds."

High winds knocked a tree on to a car in the same area - no one was injured - and fire crews were called in at Kaituna, west of Masterton, when two trees brought down power lines. One of the trees caught fire.

Pauline Harwood of Mt Holdsworth, also west of Masterton, returned home to find a trailer from which she runs her business, Lavender Magic, in tatters.

The trailer had been thrown against a roller door then dumped upside down a few metres away from its original spot.

On Ohiro Rd a trampoline awaits the next gust. Photo / Peter O'Carroll

"It's like a tornado came through and picked it up from in front of the shed and threw it," Ms Harwood said. "There's a huge hole in the shed. It's been completely flipped over."

Her yard was also littered with pot plants and wooden outdoor furniture thrown about by the swirling winds.

A large chair was also blown through her front door, leaving a huge hole and shattered glass everywhere.

METSERVICE: FRONT WILL WEAKEN

MetService duty forecaster Leigh Matheson said the front was due to move north and weaken as it crossed the country today.

Hawkes Bay and Gisborne could, however, expect gusts of around 100km/h, while Auckland could expect rain and blustery winds.

In Wellington, Shelly Bay Rd on the Miramar Peninsula will be closed - between the Shelly Bay defence base and Scorching Bay - due to a tree blocking the road.

 Fallen scaffolding in central Wellington

A carport ripped down by severe winds just five minutes after the family drove away from their Stokes Valley home.

Canterbury town of Oxford hit by winds again

We'll hear from the Southern lines company Orion about work to re-connect people shortly, but a short time ago I spoke to Sharon Ward from the Canterbury town of Oxford about the damage the winds did at her place.