100 mph winds in Christchurch, New Zealand

Severe gales lift roofs, cut power, fell trees

Christchurch Press,

4 March, 2014

Severe gales have closed the Gondola, lifted roofs off homes in Lyttelton and cut power to thousands of homes with forecasters warning more is to come.

MetService has issued a severe weather warning with strong southwest winds of up to 130kmh expected to hit Christchurch today.

The winds reached severe gale strength early this morning, prompting about a dozen calls to emergency services between 7am and 9am.

INCIDENTS INCLUDE

- A trampoline landed on power lines in Rocking Horse Rd, Southshore

- a tree has smashed through the CTV's office window on Wairakei Rd. No one was injured, said CTV head of news Jacqui Shrimpton. "I think everyone jumped out of their skin."

A Fire Service spokesman said many calls had come from Lyttelton area where roofs had been lifted off houses.

One person had also needed to be rescued when trees fell on their vehicle, bringing powerlines down at the same time.

The driver was not injured, but a caution approach had been needed because of the risk of electrocution from the downed powerlines, the spokesman said.

Lyttelton volunteer fire brigade chief Mark Buckley said firefighters in the port-side town had been dealing with reports of iron lifting off roofs and fallen trees.

A house on Bay View Pl, Cass Bay, also had its sunroom windows blown in by the gales.

Buckley said firefighters were preparing for a busy day.

"I'm picking things will get busier," he said.

GONDOLA CLOSES AFTER RECORD WINDS

The Christchurch Gondola would be closed all day after staff recorded winds of more than 160km at the top of the Port Hills.

Operations manager Mark Forster said gales reaching 163.1kmh were recorded at the summit at 10am, but no damage had been reported.

"It is the highest recorded speed we have had for many years," Forster said. "The big southerly's normally 120 to 130kmh, so 160 is pretty special."

The attraction was automatically closed whenever wind speeds exceeded 80kmh, which happened "two or three" times a year, he said.

FALLEN TREES CAUSE TRAFFIC CONGESTION

Fallen trees and localised flooding have disrupted traffic across the city.

- one lane is closed on Hereford St, between Fitzgerald Ave and Barbadoes St while workers remove a fallen tree.

- Owles Tce had been closed at Pages Rd this morning because of flooding.

- the main road between Lyttelton and Corsair Bay had been closed with a detour via Cressy Tce.

- a fallen tree caused difficulties on Memorial Ave earlier this morning

- reports of fallen branches in the Kaiapoi and Ohoka area

Meanwhile, two cars collided at the intersection of Innes Rd and Cranford St about 9am, but the crash was caused by one driver running a red light and was not weather-related, the spokeswoman said.

The NZ Transport Agency has also advised motorists to take care on State Highway 1 between Dunedin and Balclutha.

Strong winds meant extra care was required by motorcyclists and those driving caravans or other high-sided vehicles.

BANKS PENINSULA HOMES LOSE POWER

The strong winds also cut power to just over 1000 homes on Banks Peninsula about 7.15am.

Lines company Orion expected to have power restored to the affected homes in Akaroa, Flea Bay and Stony Bay within three hours.

Another fault this morning also cut power to 132 homes in Le Bons Bay and Takamatua for about two hours, while a third cut power to about 166 homes in the Duvauchelle area for about four hours.

Just under 50 homes in Doyleston, Irwell and Leeston were also hit by a power cut about 7.15am.

Orion expected to have power back on at those homes about 10.15am.

MetService forecaster John Law said a deep low off the south-east coast of the South Island would bring more heavy rain and strong winds to Banks Peninsula and Christchurch today.

Between 6am and 8am, Christchurch Airport had experienced wind gusts of about 80kmh, while Lyttelton had been hit by gusts of 119kmh.

"There's still more to come. The winds will be carrying on throughout the day, easing in the early hours of Wednesday."

The rain was expected to return about 2pm, but the worst would come tonight, with almost 20mm expected to fall over the city between 6pm and midnight.

A high of 13 degrees Celsius was forecast for Christchurch today, but the strong southwest winds meant it would feel "much colder".

Christchurch Airport remained open this morning, but staff were monitoring the strong winds "very closely", a spokeswoman said.

Flights were arriving and departing as normal, but passengers were advised to keep up-to-date by checking the airport's website and with their airlines.