High wind downs lines, cuts power
STRONG winds cut electricity to more than 1500 Otago properties, threw power lines to the ground and felled a tree, partly blocking a highway yesterday.
An Aurora Energy spokesman said power was out at 887 Queenstown and 459 Arrowtown properties for about 75 minutes after noon.
Power was out to 235 customers in Alexandra after the wind brought down overhead lines about 2.30pm.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said firefighters were called out to reports of power lines down on the corner of Marshall and Earnscleugh Rds, about 5km from Alexandra’s town centre.
Contractors for Aurora Energy were immediately called to the scene.
Power was restored to all affected customers in Alexandra by 4.30pm.
A police spokeswoman said at 2.24pm, a tree fell and blocked one lane on State Highway 6 in the Kawarau Gorge, between Pearson Rd and the Cardrona Roaring Meg Pack Track.
Contractors were sent to remove the tree and traffic was reduced to one lane until 3.20pm, when the road was cleared.
MetService issued a strong wind warning which covered most of the south of the South Island until 3am this morning.
The MetService meteorologist Sarah Haddon said the windiest place in New Zealand yesterday was Mid Dome, near Lumsden, in Southland, where a mean wind speeds of 140kmh and single gusts of 200kmh were recorded. Mrs Haddon said gusts reached up to 85kmh yesterday afternoon in Queenstown, 75kmh in Wanaka and 70kmh in Alexandra.
She said this was a forerunner to a strong cold front last night and weaker winds which would follow today.