Strong winds leave Canterbury homes without power

  • 05/10/2015
(3 News)
(3 News)

Hundreds of homes are without power in south Canterbury as strong winds continued to batter the South Island.

More than 300 households near Timaru and the Mackenzie District remain disconnected and the problem won't be fixed until this afternoon.

Up to 100 homes in north Canterbury and the West Coast are also without power.

The strongest winds overnight were recorded in Otago reaching up to 126km/h in Moeraki.

NIWA principal scientist and forecaster Chris Brandolino told the Paul Henry programme it is not over yet.

"The east coast of the North Island, they're going to have a gusty day, no doubt about it," he says. "The winds will be easing pretty much everywhere today but still remain elevated."

The winds can be put down to El Nino, he says.

"We're going from the winter to the summer and spring often brings very changeable weather.

"It's tough to forecast as a forecaster, but what's accentuating the change is El Nino, our friend El Nino."

3 News