Wind warning ends, 38 customers still without power

Marlborough Lines general manager Warner Nichol confirmed that 38 customers remain without power as of Tuesday morning. A power line dropped overnight on Ōpōuri Road, near Rai Valley, causing the outage. Nichol said the utility expects to restore service later on Tuesday.

The damage occurred during an orange strong wind warning that lasted 15 hours. The warning was in effect from 5pm on Monday until 8am on Tuesday. A MetService spokesperson reported that northwesterly wind speeds in Marlborough averaged between 43kph and 69kph during that period.

A weather station at Marlborough Airport recorded a peak gust of 70kph at 5am on Tuesday. The Kaikōura Peninsula registered a higher gust of 128kph at 6am on Tuesday.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand reported one instance of wind damage in the district. Crews responded to a property in Blenheim at 5am on Tuesday to secure a loose section of roofing iron. The fire team left the secured material in the care of the residents.

A Marlborough District Council spokesperson stated that Marlborough Roads did not report any serious wind-related issues. The council indicated that road conditions remained stable despite the high winds.

A MetService spokesperson noted that strong winds will continue periodically throughout the week. Northwesterlies are forecast to pick up again on Wednesday, becoming gusty. A polar jet stream will bring very strong southwesterlies and showers on Thursday. These winds will lower temperatures, with a forecast high of 16C for Blenheim on Saturday. Warmer northwesterlies are expected to return on Sunday, raising the high to 22C.