Night of wild wind leaves cleanup job
Electricity cut for 600 consumers
WILD winds on Tuesday night knocked out power to hundreds of Dunedin residents and left trees blocking a road.
A police spokeswoman said they received a report early yesterday trees had fallen across both lanes of Portobello Rd, near Glenfalloch, after gusts of more than 100kmh.
Downer contractors, police and a fire crew were deployed and one lane of the road was open by 6am.
Later in the day, Dunedin was basking in warmest temperatures in the country, reaching 19.2degC just before 1pm, thanks to a warm southwesterly wind.
Gusts reached up to 117kmh on a wild and windy night in Dunedin and power was knocked out for more than 600 customers.
A gust of 103.71kmh was recorded at Goat Island in Otago Harbour at 9am yesterday and a Port Otago spokesman said it had been fluctuating around that speed throughout the night.
The MetService said the strongest gust in the region, of 117kmh, was recorded on Swampy Summit between 3am and 4am.
Police were searching yesterday morning for a dinghy blown from its moorings and bobbing around in the harbour.
The dinghy was recovered about 11am but a lack of identifying information on the vessel was causing issues locating its owner.
Residents were urged to keep loose furniture such as trampolines and picnic tables secure.
An Aurora Energy spokeswoman said about 660 customers in Sawyers Bay and the Waitati Valley lost power about 7.30am after high winds brought down a high voltage line.
By 10am, power had been restored to all but three customers, the spokeswoman said.
The New Zealand Transport Agency urged extra care due to strong winds on State Highway 87 between Mosgiel and Kyeburn, and SH1 from Gore to Oamaru, especially for highsided vehicles and motorcycles.