Wind topples motorhome as wild weather hits South Island

The wind toppled the motorhome and sent it across the highway. Photo / @philipkennett337

Dashcam video has captured the shocking moment a gust of wind blows a motorhome across a South Island highway, a casualty of the wild weather that has roared across New Zealand this week.

The clip was recorded on State Highway 80, Mount Cook Rd, yesterday and shows other motorists being forced into taking evasive action.

As the video begins, multiple vehicles can be seen pulled to the side of the highway as winds buffet passing traffic.

A parked motorhome begins to wobble before tipping to the tarmac and being pushed into the path of a car that was passing using the oncoming lane.

“Hope they got the full inclusive insurance,” a commenter noted online.

Police responded to the crash, which was reported just before 2pm on Monday.

“Both lanes are blocked but all occupants of the vehicle are reported to be uninjured,” a police spokesperson said yesterday.

Drivers were warned to be vigilant of high winds in the area and if possible avoid travelling until the weather improves.

The incident came as significantly strong winds with gusts of up to 150km/h lashed the South Island.

MetService had a number of severe weather warnings in place for the South Island and lower North Island yesterday, with heavy rain, gale-force winds and even snow forecast.

In Auckland, the Harbour Bridge was placed under speed restrictions due to high winds.

Elsewhere in the South Island, a flight to Queenstown encountered intense turbulence and had to turn back to Auckland.

Dylan, 18, was on a Jetstar flight from Auckland to Queenstown yesterday morning at 8.30am and said passengers were screaming in terror as the plane shook violently about 20 minutes from Queenstown airport.

“The plane was going up and then dropping rapidly. I was airborne on my seat, it was just so wild.

“Everyone was just screaming and people were throwing up. I was about to throw up too.”