Strong winds brought down powerlines in Brunswick as rough weather caused road closures and flooding around Whanganui

Powerco staff were working on Monday to make repairs to power lines on the Western Line. Photo / Bevan Conley

Frightening winds terrified residents in Brunswick and brought down power lines early on Monday morning.

Residents along the Western Line in Brunswick had a rude awakening as gusts at about 3.40am tore through the area for a period of five to 10 minutes, resident Brian Doughty said.

"We've been here for about four years and we've never heard anything like that, it was definitely different to the wind we normally get."

The winds were strong enough to carry Doughty's barbecue from outside his house to the middle of his back yard.

Civil Defence emergency manager and fellow Western Line resident Tim Crowe also said the winds were the strongest he'd experienced in the area.

"It was enough for me to get my kids out of bed, get their shoes on and all of their emergency gear ready," Crowe said.

Powerlines were brought down along the road due to the winds and Crowe said the lines were down across four or five driveways, including his own.

A Powerco representative said crews were working to restore power to homes along Western Line as of 4pm Monday.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said gusts of up to 98km/h had been recorded by the weather station at Whanganui Airport.

In a 24 hour period on Sunday and Monday a weather station between Whanganui and Ohakune recorded 39.5mm of rain, with 11mm of rain between just 6pm and 7pm on Sunday.

On Monday morning there was flooding at the Aramoho Rowing Club, the boardwalk near Moutoa Quay in the central city and at the Sailing Whanganui club in Castlecliff.

The Aramoho Rowing Club - where members and volunteers had to get stuck in salvaging boats from the flooded building - and the Moutoa Quay boardwalk both flooded on Friday, June 3, just over a week ago.

Flooding from the Matarawa Stream also closed James McGregor Memorial Park.

State Highway 1 between Wings Line and Calico Line in Marton had to be closed because of flooding, according to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

Waka Kotahi said the area had been closed since 4.05am on Monday and motorists should avoid the area and postpone travel if possible.

Minor flooding on the board walk by Moutoa Quay. Photo / Bevan Conley.

Whanganui River Rd was closed at Pungarehu, and the Whanganui District Council expected more damage to the road further up towards Jerusalem.

Both Te Hue Rd, off State Highway 4 near Kakatahi, and Kauarapaoa Rd at the 11km mark were closed due to slips.

The council said a substantial number of trees were down around the Mangamahu and Parihauhau areas due to high winds but roads were still passable.

With MetService forecasting similar amounts of rain for the region until Tuesday, Horizons Regional Council said it was keeping a watching brief on rivers throughout the region.

Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club clearing out some boats. Photo / Bevan Conley

Horizons emergency management controller Craig Grant said they were particularly monitoring the Whanganui, Manawatū, Turakina and Mangaone river catchments.

"While we are not currently anticipating any major issues for our river systems, thunderstorm rainfall can be unpredictable so we are actively monitoring in case the situation changes and we need to respond," he said.

Grant said Horizons was in regular contact with councils throughout the region to inform them of possible pressure points for flooding.

Flooding from Matarawa Stream has closed James McGregor Memorial Park. Photo / Bevan Conley

As of Monday afternoon there were about 600 houses without power in Whanganui, Waverley and Taihape according to Powerco.

The lines company said high winds were making repairs to the lines difficult as it was unsafe for crews to work on ladders or elevated platforms.