Strong winds forecast to ease, cold weather and 'yo-yo temperatures' on way

Strong winds that have been battering the country and fanning scrub fires are easing - but cold weather is in store.

MetService head of weather news Heather Keats told Morning Report the wind was making it difficult to fight the wildfires, but rain was expected to help.

Keats said another front was expected to arrive over the South Island on Wednesday bringing a further change in wind direction and strength, but was not expected to be as severe.

The country was in for "yo-yo temperatures" as the strong north-west wind turned to a southerly before easing, she said. Dunedin reached 28C on Monday, but would have a high of 13C on Tuesday, then 20C on Wednesday, and Thursday it would be 13C maximum again.

Over the weekend, Wellington's Mt Kaukau recorded a maximum 148km/h and Mt Somers in Canterbury had gusts of 222 km/h.

Wellington airport had 113 km/hr winds at 4am on Tuesday and Dunedin had 87 km/h.

Keats said strong winds and rising temperatures could make for a challenging wildfire season as the country headed into summer.

While a heavy rain warning for the Grey and Buller districts expired at 6am Tuesday, another was in place Tararua Ranges until 11am.

Strong wind warnings for Marlborough, Wellington and Wairarapa were expiring on Tuesday morning.

Strong winds fan flames

The strong winds fanned the flames of multiple bushfires in separate parts of the country on Monday.

The Defence Force warned a blaze in the Waiouru military zone could still take hours to be fully extinguished, and may not be out until Tuesday evening.

The large scrub fire was sparked during live fire training on Sunday and has burnt through more than 230 hectares.

It said the blaze, which took hold again on Monday, drew in nine firefighting crews and five helicopters alongside military personnel.

Fire and Emergency said crews were withdrawn from the fire ground overnight, but are expected back on site Tuesday morning.

Footage from motorists travelling on the Desert Road SH1 on Monday showed large plumes of smoke just north of the Waiouru township.

At least seven fire crews worked on the blaze - which was thought to have started in trees about 2.45pm Monday - with FENZ saying strong winds added to the problem.

Six households east of Roxburgh township had been evacuated and hundreds were left without power. By Tuesday morning all but 35 properties had the power supply back.

Central Otago Mayor Tamah Alley told RNZ on Tuesday the last evacuees were on their way home. She said sustained rain overnight had helped put the blaze out.

Alley said the community had rallied together.

"It was really heartening to see the community come together yesterday and offers of assistance and places to stay and food and kennels for animals and the like were put out very quickly."

Crews were brought back on Monday to work on a scrub fire that burned through about 80 hectares in Southland. The fire started on Sunday afternoon on high-country land in the Centre Hill area.

Fire restriction

The Bay of Plenty issued fire restrictions from Tuesday following a spate of fires in the region.

Outdoor fires will need permission from Fire and Emergency New Zealand until further notice in Whakatāne, Waihau Bay, Ōpōtiki, Coastal Strip, Urewera, Galatea, Plateau North, and Plateau Central.

FENZ Bay of Plenty Community Risk Manager Luke Burgess said restrictions were coming in earlier because of forecast El Niño conditions that made fires easier to start.

He said more than 70 fires had started in the past month, many starting from unattended beach fires or burn piles.

"The Bay of Plenty has a lot of valuable conservation land, beaches, agriculture, and forestry, and we need the community to help us keep them safe from fire this summer."

Burgess urged the public to be cautious with fireworks which were a significant cause of fires during summer.