Weather: Bluff residents told to stay inside after collapsed building brings down powerlines

People are being told to stay inside after high winds have caused a roof to partially collapse in Bluff, bringing down powerlines with it.

Police were called to the incident on Gore St at 5.55pm following a report that a roof had come off a building.

All the occupants of the building were able to escape unharmed, police said.

However, powerlines came down with the roof, falling onto the main road of Bluff outside the building.

The downed lines have caused a major power outage within Bluff that is not expected to be fixed until at least 10pm, a spokesperson at lines company PowerNet said.

Waka Kotahi NZTA has also announced that Gore St, between the intersections of Liffey St and Slaney St, is closed now due to the damage.

MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said the building was old, meaning it didn't take extreme wind for the roof to partially collapse. The winds did not quite reach "gale status", he said, but did hit 80km/h.

He also said that although the winds in Bluff are past their peak, strong southwesterlies will continue overnight.

Police are asking that people in the area stay inside their homes until further notice.