/news/emergency/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest breaking news across New Zealand with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Wed, 03 Dec 2025 02:17:46 Z en /news/emergency/severe-winds-rip-roof-from-tapanui-supermarket-as-storm-batters-otago/ /news/emergency/severe-winds-rip-roof-from-tapanui-supermarket-as-storm-batters-otago/ Winds ravaging Otago this afternoon have lifted the roof off the Four Square supermarket in Tapanui, leaving the store closed until further notice. Photos from the scene show the roof partially crumpled on top of the building. Fire and Emergency New Zealand has declined to comment on the specific incident at the private property, citing privacy reasons, but confirmed that there have been calls reporting at least 19 roofs lifting across Otago this afternoon. The supermarket posted on Facebook, urging the public to stay away from the scene until it is secure. Severe winds have torn the roof off the Tapanui Four Square. Photo / Supplied No injuries have been reported so far. The country has been buffeted by strong winds and rain, causing widespread damage across multiple regions. Southern District Police have urged motorists against non-essential travel, with debris blocking a number of roads. A roof was blown off a building south of Oxford. Photo / Mike Thorpe Detective Sergeant Hamish Fraser says a number of power lines and trees have come down in strong winds. Clinton woman Jean Anderson, whose roof has also been ripped off, said: “Just hoping it doesn’t rain too much and that we can get a tarp or something up.” ”Also, the power line has come adrift from the end of the house so that’s also going to be a pain - but we’ve had plenty of offers of spare beds, and a spare house even, so we’ll have somewhere to stay if things get worse." 23 October, 2025 Three cars parked at Dunedin's Caledonian sports ground have been damaged by falling branches Extreme winds are causing mayhem in the South Island with power outages, trees down, and bush fires. New Zealadn Herald photogrpah by Ben Tomsett MetService issued red strong wind warnings across much of the South Island’s eastern regions and southern parts of the North Island. Gusts of up to 150km/h are expected in exposed areas of the Canterbury High Country, with Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains forecast to reach 140km/h until late afternoon. Across the South Island, heavy rain warnings remain in place, with some areas expected to receive up to 150mm of rain on top of previous rainfall. The storm has caused widespread damage: trees have been uprooted in Hurunui, caravans flipped in Culverden, and multiple roofs lifted, including one at a home in Clinton, South Otago. Authorities in Clutha and Grey districts have urged residents to conserve water as water treatment plants experience outages. Local councils have closed parks, libraries, and community facilities, and emergency operations centres have been activated to monitor impacts. Residents have been advised to avoid travel due to fallen trees, downed power lines, and debris on roads. Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023. Thu, 23 Oct 2025 02:30:52 Z /news/emergency/canterbury-storms-rip-roof-off-oxford-home-as-winds-hit-150kmh/ /news/emergency/canterbury-storms-rip-roof-off-oxford-home-as-winds-hit-150kmh/ Wild winds tearing through North Canterbury have ripped the roof off a home as severe gusts battered the region. Oxford resident Jade Teki-Stewart, who was inside the house when the roof came off, said the force of the wind was “unimaginable.” “We were in the far room and I saw something fly past the window,” she said. “I was like, ‘the roof’s come off!’, and you could hear it. I would never want to be in a hurricane.” A roof was blown off a house south of Oxford in Canterbury in high winds. Photo / Mike Thorpe Jade said her family had been monitoring the conditions using a small wind meter before the damage occurred. “We only clocked them at 109km/h, but it must be more than that,” she said. “That was the shortest gust we saw, and then the roof came off, so it must have picked up.” Despite the destruction, all three people in the house escaped uninjured. “We’re all good,” she said. “It was like what you’d imagine a hurricane was, we’re just lucky that the windows didn’t blow. We have windows on that side and that’s what we thought would go, rather than the roof.” High winds are causing havoc in Canterbury with power outages, downed trees, roofs blown off. Photo / Ben Tomsett The family has since begun cleaning up, with friends and relatives heading out to help clear debris before winds strengthen again. She said trees had been toppling nearby just before the roof lifted off. “We were watching those trees come down one after the other, and we were like, ‘oh no, all the [neighbour’s] deer are gonna get out... and then our roof went.” She said the storm had also blown a water tank onto the property. Wild weather has been rampaging across the South Island and lower North Island today, with severe weather warnings throughout the country. In Hanmer Springs, 50 properties are being evacuated as a precaution due to a large vegetation fire. Fire and Emergency crews are battling the blaze on Medway Rd, where Hurunui District Council is helping residents evacuate. High-end wedding venue, Braemar Lodge and Spa is among those affected. Access to Hanmer Springs village is blocked due to State Highway 7A being closed - evacuees are being told to go to Hanmer Springs Attractions Jet Boat base. A vegetation fire at Hanmer Springs in Canterbury where high winds are causing havoc. Photo / Gavin Martin Potentially deadly winds of up to 150km/h are expected across the South Island today, with red strong wind warnings in place for Canterbury, Wellington and Wairarapa. More than 100 flights have been cancelled, and a local state of emergency remains in effect for Canterbury as forecasters warn the worst may not be over. Heavy rain warnings are also in force, with up to 150mm more rain expected in parts of the South Island. Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:12:52 Z