Firefighters have undertaken a dramatic rescue after a truck driver became trapped in his vehicle when it rolled in high winds in Canterbury, as a severe weather front makes its way up the South Island.
MetService earlier forecast strong northwesterlies gales gusting at 130 kilometres per hour in parts of the Canterbury High Country while a strong wind watch is in place for the Canterbury Plains.
The gale-force winds are part of a system of heavy rain and thunderstorms that have been lashing parts of the South Island and lower North Island with more than 4000 lightning strikes and 100mm of rain in Fiordland and Milford Sound alone.
Three Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews were sent to the trapped truck driver on Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road near Staveley shortly after 1pm on Wednesday.
Fire and Emergency said firefighters had to use the jaws of life to free the trapped driver.
Hato Hone St John said an ambulance, helicopter and rapid response vehicle were sent to the crash.
A spokesperson said two patients were assessed and one was flown to Christchurch Hospital in a moderate condition while the other was treated at the scene.
The severe weather front has been steadily moving north since Wednesday morning, causing power outages and leaving flooded streets and road closures in its wake.
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