Aurora Energy says power has been restored to all but 38 Dunedin homes after yesterday's severe gales downed and damaged power lines throughout the region.
Crews are still working to restore power to some Otago residents after outages hit more than 10,000 homes and businesses following the severe gales that battered the region yesterday, and about 100 homes are expected to spend a second night without electricity.
Winds downed and damaged power lines throughout the region and 7600 consumers lost power in Dunedin alone, and this morning some roads around the city were closed owing to unsafe conditions.
''We understand the inconvenience that service interruptions cause. We are continuing to work hard to restore power to the remaining 38 customers affected as soon as possible.,'' Aurora Energy marketing and communications manager Gary Johnson said.
A Chorus spokesman said the winds had hit the network and power had been lost to 13 cabinets or exchanges in the Otago region.
However, consumers weren't affected as the sites were being powered by a generator or battery back-up.
Flights were cancelled at Dunedin Airport yesterday, leaving hundreds stranded overnight, and the cruise ship Explorer of the Seas, which was due to depart Port Chalmers yesterday with about 4000 passengers and 1180 crew, has left this morning,
An early flight was cancelled at the airport today, but things look to be running to schedule now.
- Check flight status here
MetService duty forecaster Neal Osborne said a rapidly developing low off the east coast of the South Island, and a front that followed it, brought the strong winds.
The strongest gusts recorded were 152kmh at Taiaroa Head at 6pm and 7pm, while Goat Island, by Port Chalmers, had winds of 144kmh at 7pm.
WeatherWatch.co.nz said the damaging winds were above hurricane force last night, Mid Dome in Southland reportedly recording a gust of 170kmh.
At least two vessels were torn from their moorings on Otago Harbour yesterday, and last night they were still unrecovered.
Brewing morning cuppa on the barbie here in Portobello. Still no power after 13 hours #Dunedin pic.twitter.com/tzaJNugzkj
— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) March 10, 2016
Mr Osborne said the device that recorded wind at Dunedin Airport stopped working early in the evening, probably because of the weather, but recorded 124kmh gusts about 6pm.
Late last night, Aurora Energy marketing and communications manager Gary Johnson said hundreds in Port Chalmers, Berwick and Outram would be without power overnight.
Smaller outages were also affecting customers in Hampden and Moeraki on the Waitaki Network and those in Lawrence, Waihola and Clarks Junction on the PowerNet network.
Mr Johnson said lines staff were still working on outages at 9.30pm.
‘‘We understand the inconvenience that service interruptions cause and we will be working hard to restore power to remaining customers as soon as possible,'' he said.
‘‘Delta crews are assessing damage and responding where it is safe and possible to make repairs.''
PowerNet chief executive Jason Franklin said power outages affected about 2900 customers on the network, but supply was restored to all but 675 last night.
The repairs could take several days, although linemen hoped to have the network fully functional today.
‘‘It will depend on the extent of the damage but it's nowhere near as bad as what we had in September and October,'' he said.
Waitaki Network chief executive Graham Clark said falling trees cut lines between Maheno and Shag Point. Lines staff were yet to locate the faults late last night and it was unknown how many customers had been affected, although it would number in the hundreds, he said.
Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, of Dunedin, said two boats, a catamaran off Portobello and a yacht in Deborah Bay, broke away from their moorings and late last night, both were still loose on the harbour.
On Otago Harbour, powerful waves whipped up by southwest winds made landfall at Macandrew Bay, flooding the road and washing debris from the harbour across both lanes.
Parks around the city were littered with broken branches .
A large pine tree fell on State Highway 1 near the summit of the Kilmog about 7.30pm, blocking the northbound lane, while trees also fell on the highway at Waianakarua, Lovells Flat and Herbert.
There was a temporary road closure in Herbert, but a Fire Service spokesman said all were being dealt with last night.
There were many jobs last night in Otago, including dealing with downed or arcing power lines, but none was major, he said.
There was, however, ‘‘a fair amount of damage''.
Dunedin Airport marketing and communications manager Megan Crawford said five departing flights, four Air New Zealand and one Jetstar, had been cancelled between 5.30pm and 8.10pm.
Two Air New Zealand flights arriving from Christchurch and one from Auckland were listed as cancelled over the same time period, as was a Jetstar flight from Auckland.
Ms Crawford said more than 400 people were affected by the cancelled departures, and she understood Air New Zealand had been helping with accommodation.
Air New Zealand could not be contacted last night.
The winds also caused disruption to flights at Queenstown Airport.
An inbound Jetstar flight from Auckland at 8.55am was cancelled, as were two inbound Air New Zealand services - one from Christchurch at 9.45am and the other from Auckland at 12.05pm.
The corresponding outgoing Air New Zealand flights were also cancelled, as was the 9.40am Jetstar service to Sydney.
Jetstar communications manager Phil Boeyen said passengers diverted to Christchurch had been taken by bus to Queenstown.
A Queenstown Lakes District Council spokesman said wind also caused a tree to fall at Arthurs Point, partially blocking the road, about 2pm. It was cleared by contractor Downers.
Customers affected
4078 in Burnside, Caversham, Concord, Abbotsford, Green Island, Sunnyvale, Fairfield, Waldronville and Ocean View.
648 in Northeast Valley.
1188 in Port Chalmers (out overnight).
343 in Berwick (out overnight).
806 in Outram (out overnight).
538 in Andersons Bay.
About 2900 on the PowerNet network from South Otago to Palmerston and Oturehua.
675 remained without power overnight: 258 in Lawrence, 350 at Waihola, 67 at Clarks Junction.
Hundreds overnight in Hampden and Moeraki and elsewhere in the Waitaki district between Maheno and Shag Point.
- additional reporting NZME
