A red wind warning remains in place for Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains until 4pm Thursday, with severe gale northwesterlies bringing damaging gusts of up to 140 kilometres an hour in exposed areas.
Halswell earlier on Thursday morning
Canterbury Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Controller James Thompson said authorities had already seen the impact of strong winds and rain in the headwaters causing alpine rivers to rise quickly.
flooding at Pleasant Flat, at State Highway 6/Haast Pass Highway
“Winds of this strength pose a serious risk to life and property. Please take this warning seriously to protect yourself, your family, and your animals,” he said.
NZTA / on State Highway 7.
Orion graphic showing power outages as of 3PM
Power and communications
Widespread power outages were reported across Canterbury, with thousands of properties affected. Crews were working to restore supply, but high winds were hampering progress.
Among the most affected areas were:
- Akaroa, Duvauchelle, Le Bons Bay, and Little Akaloa where more than 700 properties lost power, with an estimated restoration time of 5pm Thursday.
- Annat, Coalgate, Darfield, Glentunnel, Hororata, and Sheffield, where 774 properties were impacted. Full restoration was expected by midday Friday.
- Brooklands and Spencerville, where 368 properties were affected and most power was expected to be restored by 4pm Thursday.
- Halkett, West Melton, and Yaldhurst, where 156 properties were impacted with repairs underway.
- Tai Tapu and Motukarara, where more than 30 properties remained without power, with restoration expected later in the evening.
- Annat, Sheffield, Springfield, and Kowai Bush, where restoration work was ongoing through Friday.
Crews were also responding to outages in Charteris Bay, Little River, Dunsandel, Greenpark, and Hororata.
Residents were advised to treat all power lines as live and avoid moving debris near them.
Truck rolls near Springfield
Travel advisory
People were urged to avoid unnecessary travel as road closures affected parts of the region.
For state highways, updates were available at journeys.nzta.govt.nz/regions/canterbury, and for local roads, residents were encouraged to check their local council’s website.
Flooding risk
Heavy rain in the headwaters of major rivers including the Waiau Uwha, Hurunui, Waimakariri, Rakaia, Rangitata, and Waitaki was causing rising river levels.
People were advised to stay away from rivers and to never walk, swim, or drive through floodwaters.
flooding at Pleasant Flat, at State Highway 6/Haast Pass Highway / NZTA
Fire and Emergency NZ declared a total ban on open fires and fireworks across Canterbury.
Residents were reminded to use torches instead of candles and avoid using outdoor cooking or heating equipment indoors.
Vegetation fire near Hanmer Springs
At 12.15pm, Fire and Emergency confirmed firefighters were responding to a large vegetation fire about 4.5 kilometres southeast of Hanmer Springs.
No properties were currently threatened, but crews were working to access the fire, with roads blocked by fallen trees.
The strong winds made it too dangerous to use aircraft at this stage.
State Highway 7A was closed at Medway Road.
Nzta Meanwhile, State Highway 6 between Murchison and Kawatiri Junction remains closed due to an underslip and work being undertaken to address it
Meanwhile, Southern District Police are urging motorists against non-essential travel, with debris blocking a number of roads.
State Highway 1 is being closed between Clinton and Milton, while State Highway 8 between Lawrence and State Highway 1 – could also close due to weather.
Detective Sergeant Hamish Fraser said a number of power lines and trees have come down in strong winds.
“We urge people to stay home, and not to travel unless you absolutely have to.
Anyone who has to drive should take extreme care.”
