Wild weather has lashed parts of the South Island overnight, damaging infrastructure and even blowing a ute over with a motorist still inside.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) spokesperson told Newshub the ute was blown over on State Highway 87 west of Outram in rural Dunedin. Emergency services were called to the scene at 6:20am.
In other weather-related callouts in the south on Monday morning, a powerpole caught fire in Invercargill due to high winds while powerlines are rubbing together and sparking on the Bluff Highway (State Highway 1).
Dunedin remains on high alert with more heavy rain expected. The Country executive producer Rowena Duncum told AM Early the wild weather has been lashing the whole bottom of the South Island.
"I know the council contractors were out all day yesterday trying to clear the gutters in preparation for this. There was sandbagging taking place in Mosgiel and also at the ice rink in Dunedin," she told host Michael O'Keeffe.
"I'm not going to lie, it is very, very windy here and very wet and extends right through into central Otago, especially the coastal areas."
On the West Coast, fire crews were also kept busy. The first call-out came at 10:30pm on Monday, after a roof lifted from a building on Tainui St, Greymouth following a tornado.
Then about 15 minutes later, crews responded to reports of downed powerlines and another damaged roof on Turumaha St.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) told Newshub in a statement it alerted KiwiRail of the damage, as it was feared debris was blown onto the nearby train tracks.
It comes as the majority of the South Island remains under weather warnings and watches.
An orange heavy rain warning remains in place for Dunedin until at least 1pm on Tuesday, with MetService warning downpours cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.
A strong wind warning is also in place for Banks Peninsula, north Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha.
MetService warns gales are forecast to be severe in exposed places of these areas, with gusts reaching 120km/h.
"Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles," MetService warns.
Heavy rain and wind watches also remain in place for large parts of the South Island. MetService urges Kiwis to keep up to date with the latest forecasts.
