While coastal Otago escaped forecast gale-force winds yesterday, gusts of 80kmh-90kmh were recorded at Macraes and caused damage around Middlemarch.
Iron was lifted from several buildings, Middlemarch builder Cameron Macauley said last night.
About seven sheets of iron were ripped from the Hyde community hall, and a house south of the village lost most of its roof, he said. Damage was also reported to several farm sheds.
Electricity supplies were affected throughout the day in the Strath Taieri and Macraes areas and phone lines were still out in Middlemarch last night, he said.
Otago Central Hotel owner Ngaire Sutherland, of Hyde, said trees were blown over and people were "fighting to stay upright".
Trees were blown across McKinnon Rd in the Strath Taieri area yesterday afternoon and the Dunedin City Council closed the road.
MetService spokesman Dan Corbett said Mid Dome, in Northern Southland, recorded 143kmh and Middlemarch 76kmh, with some gusts over 140kmh over the Rock and Pillar Range. Wanaka recorded 78kmh and Gore 76kmh.
Macraes had wind around 95kmh at 1pm yesterday.
Waitaki district emergency services manager Chris Raine said wind around Oamaru and Corriedale averaged between 40kmh and 50kmh, with higher gusts.
Up until 5pm, the strongest gust at Twizel was 66kmh but Otematata recorded a gust of just 20kmh. Coastal Otago, meanwhile, basked in warm, overcast weather. Dunedin recorded 26degC at 4pm, just behind the day's high of 29degC in Napier, he said.
Wind reignited embers of a fire on a farm between Luggate and Cromwell yesterday afternoon.
Cromwell Chief Fire Officer Steve Shaw said clippings and prunings were burnt more than six weeks ago but the wind fanned the embers back into life. Mr Corbett said the weather was expected to improve for Waitangi weekend.
Anticyclones were expected to dominate from Friday to Monday, bringing mild to warm conditions and fairly light winds but eastern coasts might be cloudy and some rain was possible in the far south.
