Southland has taken the hardest hit from Thursday’s powerful weather system, with Fire and Emergency New Zealand responding to 139 callouts across the district between 11.55 am and 1 pm — including 108 in Invercargill alone.

Between 7.40 am and 1 pm, crews attended a total of 264 weather-related incidents nationwide, but Southland saw the most intense burst of activity as strong winds tore through the region around lunchtime.

Most callouts were for roofs lifting, trees down, fences damaged, and sheds blown away. There were also reports of loose trampolines and even a satellite dish coming loose from a roof.

Fire and Emergency said an additional 109 calls were received that did not require a crew response and were passed on to the relevant local authorities.

District breakdown:

Southland: 139

Otago: 1

West Coast: 4

Canterbury (not including Hanmer Springs): 32

Hanmer Springs: 12

Marlborough: 2

Wellington: 64

Wairarapa: 8

Bay of Plenty: 1

Waikato: 1