Checkpoint

An Invercargill man was caught off guard by "ferocious" weather today as the lower South Island was violently battered. Ian Hamilton was at the Invercargill Rowing Club when the storm came in so strong and thick he couldn't see the river anymore. As he made a quick getaway pine trees were toppling down around him. Ian Hamilton spoke to Lisa Owen.

Tens of thousands of people are without power, buildings have been damaged, trucks have flipped and the West Coast is cut off from the rest of the Mainland by road, after ferocious winds and heavy rain lashed the much of the country. A state of local emergency remains in place for Canterbury, with many districts under rare, red-level strong wind warnings. In Dunedin, Otago University postponed exams and urged students to stay indoors as wind gusts uprooted trees across the city. Katie Todd reports.

More than 100,000 workers, including teachers and doctors, have walked off the job today in a nationwide strike. Disgrunted public sector employees showed their disatisfication with the coalition Government over pay and working conditions. But as Victor Waters explains, the historic mega strike also had to confront today's weather event.

Publicly-funded infrastructure projects in Auckland have been the target of cartel conduct by two construction companies. The first company involved, Maxbuild Ltd, was sentenced last December and the second company learned its fate in the High Court today - although its identity remains secret. The Commerce Commission calls the prosecution historic and says it shows cartel type behaviour will be investigated and punished. Commerce Commission chairman John Small spoke to Lisa Owen.

Wild weather has battered parts of the country in both islands after rare red level wind warnings were issued. In the South, fire crews have had their hands full, combatting a large scrub fire in Hanmer Springs. Severe gusts have caused widespread damage across north Canterbury's Hurunui district. The West Coast is also cut off due to flooding. Christchurch reporter Adam Burns spoke to Lisa Owen.

The All Blacks fly out for their end of year tour tonight. They'll take on Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, with the first test against the Irish taking place in Chicago next weekend. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.

One person is dead after a car and an electric bus crashed head on causing a fiery blaze on Auckland's Tamaki Drive. Police had been warning people to stay away from the area saying the buses electric battery could be hazardous. Auckland Transport's director of public transport Stacey Van Der Putten spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the US imposing new sanctions on Russia only one day after a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was cancelled.

Strong gusts of wind are felling trees and posing big challenges for farmers in south Wairarapa this afternoon. One of them, Mike McCreary, was out checking paddocks in his ute when he spoke with our rural reporter Sally Wenley.

Wild winds are proving the enemy of emergency services. Gusts are fanning fires around the country with power lines toppled and trees ripped up by their roots. A local state of emergency remains in place for Canterbury with wind gusts up to 150 kilometres an hour expected. Tens of thousands of properties are without power at the top of the South Island and bottom of the North. Fire and Emergency Assistant Commander Ken Cooper spoke to Lisa Owen.