Gusts of up to 104kmh at Dunedin airport - and 155kmh at Swampy Summit - kept emergency services and power contractors busy responding to the havoc created by the wild weather.
Thousands of customers lost power across the city and surrounds, while firefighters rushed from one blaze to the next and responded to reports of roofs lifting off homes.
Hundreds of passengers were affected when Dunedin flights were disrupted by the winds, and a large pine tree smashed a water main in Opoho, cutting supply to 200 homes overnight.
The northwesterly winds peaked in the city between 3pm and 4pm, hours after striking Queenstown, and drove temperatures up to 31degC in Dunedin, just one degree short of the December record.
Oamaru hit 30degC and Dunedin airport recorded 29degC, according to MetService staff.
The strongest gust in New Zealand was recorded at Dunedin's exposed Swampy Summit, with a blast reaching 155km shortly after 4pm.
The wind also prompted a warning from the New Zealand Transport Authority for drivers to be careful, as motorists tried to dodge 2m-high waves crashing over Portobello Rd at the Andersons Bay Inlet.
The Dunedin City Council's call centre was inundated with calls about downed powerlines which affected thousands of people.
About 5100 customers supplied by the Aurora Energy network in Dunedin lost power after more than 10 high-voltage feeders tripped between 2pm and 4.30pm, Delta Utility Services network services manager Lindsay McLennan confirmed.
The cuts hit parts of the Taieri and more than 10 Dunedin suburbs, from Abbotsford to Waldronville to Leith Valley and Mt Cargill, he said.
It was hoped all but 80 to 100 customers would be reconnected by late last night, he said.
Another 3000 PowerNet customers - in Lawrence, Glenore, Waihola, Clydevale, Orawia, Makarewa and Winton - were affected by cuts caused by the high winds, PowerNet staff said.
Firefighters also tackled many fires triggered by the hot and windy weather, including five requiring the assistance of rural firefighters.
One of the blazes, near Old Brighton Rd, burned between 2ha-4ha of pine trees and came within about 100m of homes before being brought under control, Dunedin City Council principal rural fire officer Graeme Still said.
The fire was believed to have been started by arcing or downed powerlines, and had the potential to be "quite nasty", he said.
Fire Service East Otago assistant area commander Trevor Tilyard said fire pumps from as far afield as Port Chalmers attended the fire.
At the winds' peak late yesterday afternoon, every pump between Milton and Palmerston was busy.
Fire crews were called back on duty to assist with dozens of callouts involving lifting roofs, and downed powerlines and trees.
While the winds died down in the Dunedin area about 8pm, helicopters with monsoon buckets were called in to assist with a forestry fire threatening to get out of hand at Kaitangata.
Mr Tilyard said gale-force winds combined with soaring temperatures and humidity under 20% made for dangerous conditions.
Senior Sergeant Brian Benn, of Dunedin, said emergency services, power companies and council staff dealt with dozens of callouts.
He praised members of the public for "getting the odd chainsaw out", in an effort to clear blocked roads, and direct traffic away from dangerous areas.
Strong winds and spot fires also forced Wenita Forest Products to shut down its forestry block at Mt Allan yesterday.
Glaziers were kept busy.
Crawford Glass office manager Denise Waugh's company had received up to 30 calls, from Outram to Roseneath, by 5pm yesterday.
That included a house's conservatory roof, and a door window blown out at Dunedin Hospital.
Workers would be "going like the clappers" to get jobs done by Christmas Day, she said.
Otago Glass manager Jon Hall said his glaziers had received up to 20 calls by 4.30pm and more jobs were likely to be reported today, while Dunedin Glass owner Tony Smither said he was so busy he was forced to turn down jobs.
Air New Zealand Dunedin airport manager Alistair Bevin said about 170 passengers had been affected when four inbound and two outbound flights were cancelled.
Passengers were offered transport to Christchurch or seats on alternative flights, where available.
A Pacific Blue spokesman said one inbound flight from Brisbane, carrying 140 passengers, was forced to land in Christchurch because of the strong crosswinds at Dunedin.
The passengers were bussed to Dunedin.
The corresponding outbound flight to Brisbane was also cancelled and the 120 passengers put on buses to Christchurch, where they stayed in a hotel last night to be flown out today.
Optical retailer Specsavers in George St had its 1cm-thick front glass door shattered by the winds at 4pm, after the wind "just flicked it around and it disintegrated", optical assistant Louise Stuart said.
"It's lucky no-one was walking past when it happened."
The Mitre 10 Mega store on Andersons Bay Rd was also struck.
The store's large sign - normally suspended on poles - was toppled by the wind, damaging an empty vehicle parked underneath, a customer said.
The new $198 million Forsyth Barr Stadium escaped damage, although the winds forced all work at height to be suspended, cranes to be lowered, booms laid on the ground and scaffolding secured, Carisbrook Stadium Trust chairman Malcolm Farry said.
"The only minor damage was some Pink Batts were blown into the Leith," he said.
Dunedin man Paul Le Comte said he had a close encounter with a waterspout that came ashore on Portobello Rd, in Dunedin, about 4pm.
He was driving towards the city when he spotted up to four waterspouts on the harbour, the largest up to 10m in height.
One came ashore near the Vauxhall Yacht Club and Mr Le Comte drove through it.
His car was showered with stones, and he later discovered a small crack in his windscreen.
MetService forecaster Nic Bonnette said no reports of the waterspouts had been received, but the sightings were "possible".
The strong winds and heat were the result of a northwesterly weather pattern.
Wind gusts reached gale force at Dunedin airport, Dunedin and Wanaka.
Average wind speeds reached gale force at Dunedin airport and strong wind level in Dunedin city and Oamaru.
A strong wind warning was in place last night, but the winds were expected to gradually ease overnight, she said.
Wind data
Peak mean speeds/gusts
Wanaka 50kmh/70kmh
Oamaru 70kmh/102kmh
Queenstown 35kmh/61kmh
Dunedin city 59kmh/72kmh
Dunedin airport 67kmh/104kmh
Swampy Summit (Dunedin) 109kmh/155kmh
Source: MetService
