38 Marlborough customers left without power after gusts top 70kph
A loose roof panel in Blenheim and a downed power line in Rai Valley are the only major wind-related incidents reported by local authorities on Tuesday.
By Justin Brooks ·
Thirty-eight customers in Marlborough are without electricity following a strong wind event that peaked in the early hours of Tuesday.
Marlborough Lines general manager Warner Nichol confirmed on Tuesday morning that a power line fell overnight on Ōpōuri Road near Rai Valley. He stated that power is expected to return to those 38 customers later in the day.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand recorded a single instance of wind damage in the region. A crew was dispatched to a Blenheim property at 5 am on Tuesday to secure a piece of loose roofing iron before leaving it with the residents.
Marlborough District Council spokespersons reported that no serious wind-related issues affected roads. A MetService spokesperson noted that northwesterly winds averaged between 43kph and 69kph during an orange warning that lasted from 5 pm Monday to 8 am Tuesday. The strongest gust recorded at Marlborough Airport was 70kph at 5 am Tuesday, while the Kaikōura Peninsula logged a gust of 128kph at 6 am Tuesday.
Forecasts indicate that strong winds will continue periodically through the week and into the Marlborough Anniversary long weekend. Northwesterlies eased on Tuesday but are predicted to become gusty again on Wednesday. A polar jet stream of very strong southwesterlies is expected on Thursday, bringing showers and dropping Blenheim’s high temperature to 16C on Saturday. Warmer northwesterlies will return on Sunday, raising the high to 22C.
Source: The Star
