"It's a case of prioritising the fire engines so that we can get to the more serious jobs," Mr Grace said.
The wind was also creating a fire risk as power lines came down and they'd even been a blaze from a lighting bolt near Wanaka.
"It's everything from vehicles overturning to rubbish fires spreading and burning out of control to power lines down and phone lines down. It's a bit of everything because the winds are picking up quickly now."
The car that overturned was between Twizel and Tekapo.
"Because the wind gusts are just so extreme sometimes, it's luck of the draw," Mr Grace said.
He encouraged people travelling to take their time and report any fires by ringing 111.
In Otago, power has been cut in several areas and property has been damaged, with at least one shed blown over, the Otago Daily Times reported.
Large dust storms were believed to be the cause of a crash on State Highway 85 in Ranfurly, in which a milk tanker and truck collided, Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen, of Dunedin, told the newspaper.
One man was tended to by emergency staff with a suspected broken wrist or arm.
Flights were also affected.
An inbound flight to Dunedin from Christchurch had to turn back because of weather conditions, Air New Zealand communications manager Brigitte Ransom said.
Between 10 and 11am, the Mid Dome weather station, 1200 metres above sea level near Lumsden in Southland, was hit with a 174 km/h gust.
Earlier this morning Mt Hutt recorded 100 km/h blasts.
In populated areas, Gore has recorded 122 km/h and Twizel 115 km/h early this afternoon.
On the coast, Oamaru got a 94 km/h blast.
Gusts of up to 160 km/h are expected to buffet Canterbury.
"Peak winds in the Mid-Canterbury area should be done by about five o'clock this evening [but] it will still be strong and gusty," MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said.
He said the 160 km/h forecast was as high as he had seen."
That's enough even to make a Wellingtonian's nose twitch."
A northwest flow is bringing the winds. It's moving up New Zealand today ahead of a cold front, which will bring cooler temperatures and a slight easing to the gusts.
MetService has a severe weather warning in place for potentially damaging winds in Southland, Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough, Wellington, Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay.
It could also be strong in Fiordland, Westland, Buller, Nelson, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Manawatu, Whanganui, Taihape and Gisborne.So far Mr Kerr said he hadn't received any reports of damage.
In the North Island, the usually windy Cape Turnagain received 140 km/h gusts this morning.
The north of the North Island will be spared the high winds.
