Wind gusts of up to 150 kilometres an hour have downed trees and lifted roofs as wild weather continues to wreak havoc across parts of the South Island this afternoon.
A red warning for high winds was issued by MetService on Sunday morning as severe gale northwesterly winds were forecast to hit the Canterbury High Country and foothills from this afternoon and into early Monday morning.
Northwesterly severe gales with gusts of 160 km/hr are expected in exposed places, with the strongest winds expected later in the evening into tomorrow morning, MetService said.
A number of weather stations are recording strong to severe gale force winds with speeds of up to 100km/hr this afternoon.
As of 3.45pm, Clarks Junction recorded gusts of up to 151.5km/hr, whiile Dunedin's Swampy Summit came in at a blustery 126.0km/hr.
Meanwhile, Kurow and Dunedin Airport are seeing gusts of up to 120km/hr and 117.7km/hr, respectively.
Omakau recorded winds of up to 114.8km/hr, followed by Naseby Forest at 110.9km/hr, Macraes Flat at 105.1km/hr and Middlemarch at 103.3km/hr.
It's expected to cause widespread damage across the Canterbury High Country and foothills, particularly to trees and power lines.
"Significant impacts are also expected to transport and power networks, with road closures and power outages likely," Metservice meteorologist Hordur Thordarson said.
Driving conditions will be very hazardous, and there is a danger to life from falling trees or branches and flying debris. Roofs and unsecured structures may also be damaged.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the eastern South Island - including the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch - is under an orange warning, and could see damaging gales tonight into tomorrow morning.
Residents have been urged to secure outdoor items and farmers have been asked to check properties for any recent burn-offs to ensure they do not flare up again.
People have been advised to keep up to date with the latest weather forecast at metservice.com.
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