Watch: The Moment A Tree Feel Onto Elles Road Invercargill

The dramatic video captured by What’s On Invers showed the exact moment a large tree came crashing down on Elles Road in Invercargill during extreme weather conditions.

The tree fell without hitting any passing vehicles, but the road remained closed for several days as crews worked to clear the debris at around midday on Thursday 23rd October.

The founder of What’s On Invers, Mike Sanford, highlighted just how lucky the situation was.

“We should be grateful that the lights heading south were red at the time,” Sanford said. “It could have ended badly if traffic was flowing as the tree fell over.”

Invercargill was placed under a red wind warning at the time of the incident. Severe north-westerly gales swept across the region, with gusts reaching up to 120 kilometres per hour in exposed areas.

The strong winds didn’t just bring down trees—they also caused widespread disruption across the city. Several roads were closed as a result of the dangerous weather, including the southbound lane of State Highway 6 between Don and Tay Streets, as well as State Highway 1 on East Road between Mill Road North and Racecourse Road.

Emergency services and road crews worked quickly to assess damage, remove debris and ensure public safety throughout the event.

The old Waikiwi hall home to the Rock N Roll Club roof fell victim to the wild weather too!