High winds cause havoc as caravan, vehicle flip

A driver and passenger of a Toyota Landcruiser cheated death when their vehicle and caravan were blown off the road as fierce storms struck the South Island yesterday.

Tekapo police constable Greg Sutherland said the vehicle and the caravan ended up on their backs and the caravan had "totally disintegrated" following the incident on State Highway 8 near Twizel.

He said the two men were out of the vehicle when he arrived but they were both "a bit shaken up".

"The roof above the passenger side was crumpled in - it's good they were wearing seatbelts."

Constable Sutherland said the men described how, just prior to the accident, they had seen the caravan rising up on one wheel.

"They hit the brake, and it all just went over."

The road is now closed for high-sided vehicles.

The MetService had issued a severe gale alert yesterday morning, advising that the expected 130km/h winds had "the potential to bring down power lines and trees, lift roofing and make driving conditions hazardous".

The Central Otago towns of Ranfurly, Omakau and Naseby were especially hard-hit, with power losses, fallen trees and roof damage meaning a busy morning for fire services.

Ranfurly Lion Hotel owner David Weyer said the winds "were the worst I have seen in 25 years".

The main road into the township of Naseby was blocked by fallen trees and the town had no power for much of yesterday.

Krystal McDonald, a staff member at the Ancient Briton Hotel in Naseby, said the power company had advised they may not have power back today.

"The main street into Naseby is closed because there are trees down over the road."

Fire service southern shift manager Andrew Norris said they had dealt with "multiple" call-outs.

He said that in at least a dozen instances, the fire service was called to damp down old burn-offs of scrub which were being re-ignited by the high winds.