Strong winds caused havoc for travellers flying to and from Dunedin yesterday, along with motorists trying to negotiate a downed tree in the city centre.
Gusts of up to 111kmh forced flight delays and cancellations at Dunedin International Airport between lunchtime and 2pm, while blasts of up to 96kmh were recorded in the city centre about 2pm.
A large tree beside Dunedin's School of Physical Education, near Otago Museum, was felled by one particularly strong gust.
It crushed a wrought-iron gate and blocked both lanes of Cumberland St, the city's southern one-way street.
No-one was injured in the incident. Firefighters from the Willowbank station and police attended, with traffic diverted down nearby Union St.
Firefighters using chainsaws were able to clear one lane of debris for traffic to use, before Delta Utilities staff took over. The Delta crew spent several hours clearing the road.
"It was just lucky enough there were no cars going past or underneath it [the tree when it fell]," Willowbank Senior Firefighter Mark Townsend said.
Air New Zealand airport manager in Dunedin Alistair Bevin said yesterday's strong winds forced the cancellation of one inbound flight, while two others were diverted to land at Christchurch or Invercargill.
A total of 179 passengers had to be bused to Dunedin or rescheduled on later services, he said.
Another three scheduled flights from Dunedin were cancelled, delaying travel plans for another 170 passengers, he said. Some destined for Christchurch were offered a seat on a bus, while others trying to reach Wellington and Auckland were rescheduled on later services.
Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin was among those affected - he was to sing at yesterday's Saturday Morning Music Classes event in Dunedin but was unable to attend after his flight was among those disrupted by the winds.
A woman riding a motor scooter was pushed on to the footpath on Princes St, near the Oval, after being knocked sideways by a strong gust of wind yesterday afternoon. The woman was not injured.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Ross, of Dunedin, said there were no other reports of damage yesterday, and St John staff reported no wind-related injuries.
