MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said Dunedin experienced winds between 80kmh and 110kmh on Monday night.
As a result, wheelie bins awaiting collection were blown over and rubbish spread through the city.
Heriot Row resident Braden Fowell said a lot of rubbish ended up in front of his flat because he lived near the bottom of a hill.
In the past, he had only ever seen people come and clean it when the drains needed clearing.
"There probably should be something done about it.
"The council should be the ones to do something about it," he said.
At this stage, he assumed it just blew somewhere else when the wind picked up again.
Cargill St resident Rylee Whitcomb said she was not surprised there was a trail of rubbish down her street after hearing the wind overnight.
"It’s annoying when you’re walking up and down it and you have to avoid it."
She believed the people who lived there had a responsibility to clean the street if it had been outside their house for a few days.
A Dunedin City Council spokesman said it was not planning a special cleanup.
"Our contractors do their best to tidy up spilled rubbish from bins during periods of strong wind, and we encourage residents to use the bin clips provided to secure wheelie bin lids and minimise the amount of rubbish escaping if bins do get blown over.
"We also ask everyone to retrieve their wheelie bins from the street as soon as possible after collection.
