Storm passes; another one due

More stormy weather is set to hit the South this weekend.

MetService forecaster Cameron Coutts said a low-pressure system moved across the lower South Island yesterday.

"It was a really deep one —  it’s central pressure was really low ... it brought this burst of strong winds and rain."

• Winds cut power across region

The strongest wind gusts in Otago were 135kmh,  recorded at Nugget Point, in the Catlins, between 10am and 11am,  and Swampy Summit, Dunedin,  between 11am and noon.

The most rainfall recorded in one hour was at Sullivan’s Dam, in  Dunedin, which received 8.5mm between 11am and noon.

The weather system had moved away by the early afternoon and conditions  slowly improved  across Otago.

A fine day is forecast today.

However, there  is  a "slight chance" of an isolated  shower this afternoon.

More low pressure  is forecast for Otago this weekend.

"It’s due to charge across the South Island overnight on Saturday into Sunday — it’s almost a repeat."

The northeasterly wind and rain on Saturday night would change to a strong, cold southerly wind on Sunday, with possible gales near the coast, easing off early next week.

The "unsettled and changeable" weather will continue on Wednesday as another front hits Otago. Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours owner Neil Harraway said trips on the company’s boat, the Monarch,  were  cancelled yesterday because it was moored behind the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, which had its engines on to hold it against Beach St wharf.

Another of the company’s boats,  Vivienne J, a 12m  motor launch, took cruise ship passengers on  an  Otago Harbour cruise yesterday morning but the noon and 2pm  trips were cancelled after passengers  withdrew because of the choppy conditions. Both boats could have easily handled the conditions yesterday, he said.

Otago Peninsula Trust marketing manager Sophie Barker said the Royal Albatross Centre  put tours on hold for about half an hour yesterday as winds topped  110kmh.

"This was a challenge, as tours were absolutely fully booked with cruise passengers and the centre was full to capacity."

The storm killed some newly fledged endangered red-billed gull chicks. The "terrible weather" dampened the benefits of the "huge cruise ship day" yesterday, Ms Barker said.

A power line brought down by a strong wind caused a fire near Outram yesterday which damaged a tractor and hay shed and  left more than 350 people in the area without power.

More than 2000 customers lost power across Otago yesterday.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council reported  Routeburn Kinloch Rd was flooded at Kowhai Bush, about 2km south of the Routeburn Shelter road. It was passable only by  high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles with experienced drivers.

The council also urged drivers to take care on  Glenorchy Paradise Rd, which was flooded at Cassels Creek.

Drivers were also told to exercise caution after a slip on the Skippers Rd at Bells Hill.

Queenstown Airport reported strong winds, but departing flights were  not  affected.

Clutha District group service delivery manager Jules Witt said the council had not received any service requests in regards to the weather.

A few small branches  had blown on to  roads but the Clutha district was largely unaffected.

While there was a reasonable amount of rain,  it was not  excessive,  Mr Witt said.

The wind picked up about noon in coastal Otago and the Hampden Volunteer Fire Brigade responded to two non-injury call-outs near the  town in short succession.

Brigade chief fire officer Shane Trimble  said several  trees came down and "a bit of iron blew off a house" but the winds subsided in the afternoon.  A southbound camper van blew over at the Moeraki turn-off and shortly afterwards a metal dinghy, on a trailer being towed by a Toyota Surf, overturned heading north on State Highway 1 just south of Hampden.

Roxburgh chief fire officer David Rooney said a small tree fell  on Teviot Rd, but overall damage was "not too bad".

Another tree fell at Stevensons Creek, south of Roxburgh, which required State Highway 8 traffic to be diverted through a farmer’s property for about 30 minutes until it was cleared.

As it was Roxburgh’s yellow-bin collection day, recycling littered the streets, requiring Central Otago District Council contractor All Waste to send extra staff to clean up the mess.

A series of landslips  blocked State Highway 73, the main route between Christchurch and the West Coast.

The route  from Arthur’s Pass through to Jacksons  was closed by ‘"very large slips", the NZ Transport Agency said last night.

There  were also reports of fallen trees and flooding.

The road was unlikely to be reopened before tomorrow.The Lewis Pass and SH65 were cleared yesterday morning but were down to single lane in some places. Metservice recorded 209 lightning strikes and flooding in  Westland from Wednesday  evening.

Rotomanu farmer Katie Milne recorded 136mm of rain in 24 hours,  Greymouth was soaked with 84.2mm and Hokitika received 85.6mm, while a massive 307.4mm was recorded at Arthur’s Pass. Further north, the Fire Service in the Wellington area attended 27 callouts for roofs lifting and trees falling on roads between 4am and 8am.

"Most were very, very minor," the shift manager said.

Wellington Harbour ferries were cancelled because of the rough weather yesterday  morning.

— Additional reporting NZME/NZN
 

Strongest wind gusts in Otago (until 4pm)

Hours with most rainfall in Otago yesterday (until 4pm)