Just hours after a severe storm lashed Wellington, a fresh bout of strong winds is forecast for the south of the South Island.
MetService says a strong wind watch for that part of the country will remain in place until Monday morning.
Winds of up to 100 kilometres an hour, and possibly stronger, are expected to hit, with coastal hills and headlands in the Clutha and Dunedin regions the most at risk of damage.
MetService forecaster Heath Gullery says the winds have the potential to damage trees, powerlines and insecure roofs.
People are advised to keep up to date with weather forecasts and motorists are advised to drive with caution.
3500 lightning strikes recorded
The storm whipped up the South Island's east coast before hitting the capital just after 4pm on Friday. MetService recorded 3500 lightning strikes as the southerly punched through Marlborough, Wellington and Wairarapa.
In the capital, winds gusted up to 140 kilometres an hour, tearing off roofs, felling trees and bringing down power lines.
Wellington Electricity Lines says power has been restored to the thousands of people cut off by the storm. The worst affected areas were Upper Hutt, Naenae, Belmont, Newlands, Evans Bay and Island Bay.
A Waikanae man was taken to hospital after suffering an electric shock: the Westpac Rescue Helicopter service, which flew the 63-year-old man to Wellington Hospital, says he was directing traffic around a fallen power line.
Had it been half an hour earlier...
Tarpaulins erected by the Fire Service protected the main building of Samuel Marsden Collegiate School in Karori overnight, after the auditorium lost its roof during the storm.
School principal Jenny Williams says the roof was lifted off the building like a piece of paper and thrown down in front of the school.
She says no one was injured but had it been half an hour earlier, students would have been coming out of classes.
At St Bernard's College in Lower Hutt, the wind shifted iron stacked for re-roofing and blew over a wire-mesh construction fence.
The rail passenger manager for KiwiRail, Ross Hayward, says falling trees cut power and affected services on the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa lines. He says the trees were cleared and full services were restored by 9.30pm.
Interislander sailings continued uninterrupted but flights in and out of Wellington Airport were delayed.
Marlborough hit by thick hail
Rescue teams freed a teenage boy trapped under a tree at Rarangi near Blenheim. The 15-year-old was taken by helicopter to Wairau Hospital with injuries to his back and leg.
Hail several centimetres thick coated the roads near Kaikoura, and forced drivers off the road.
A group of American tourists hit by hailstones while walking on Kaikoura Peninsula had to take shelter off the track.
