Windy blasts leave power cuts in wake

Strong winds caused havoc in Canterbury yesterday morning, grounding helicopters, felling trees and downing power lines.

A spokeswoman for electricity network company Orion, Angela Lamont, said 30 houses in Hororata, about 55 kilometres west of Christchurch, were without power for about five hours yesterday.

There were also power cuts at Irwell near Lake Ellesmere, in Lower Styx Rd near Spencerville and in Marshland Rd in Christchurch.

"It was mostly to do with trees falling on the lines from high winds," Lamont said.

A tree fell on Christchurch engineering apprentice Brad Ineson's station wagon in Prestons Rd in Redwood. "If my car was on the other side of the road it would have been split in half quite easily," he said. "The front windscreen is smashed in, the bonnet's dented, the mirrors are hanging off and there are bits fallen off on the inside from the shock of it, I guess."

Police southern communications spokesman Inspector Mike Coulter said there were about nine weather-related calls between 9.45am and 10.15am.

A tree blocked traffic in Bealey Ave, near the city centre, and a snapped power line fell on a road in Mairehau.

In Madras St, Edgeware, empty waste bins were blown onto the road.

A Fire Service spokesman said crews were called to a few jobs, but "nothing spectacular".

The St John Ambulance reported no injury incidents.

MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said the temperature dropped from the predicted day's high of 14 degrees Celsius to 8C once the southerly arrived.

He said the blustery winds, which gusted up to 70kmh, had grounded helicopters at Christchurch's Royal New Zealand Show, sent banners flying and sent many people chasing hats.

The weather cleared in the afternoon and a fine day was expected today.