It has been a wet, windy and weird 24 hours in Canterbury as the province has gone from searing heat, to a windstorm, then hail and thunder.

First wind wreaked havoc in Ashburton, then an afternoon storm in Christchurch disrupted holiday-makers and fans watching the one-day international between the Black Caps and the West Indies at AMI Stadium.

The ball wasn't the only white object flying around AMI Stadium this afternoon - a predicted hailstorm arrived driving players from the field.

It's the latest example of the topsy-turvy weather hitting the South Island yesterday much of Canterbury baked in temperatures of 30-plus degrees - then a windstorm hit

The storm lasted barely an hour and was at its worst in mid-Canterbury.

More than 10,000 homes around Ashburton lost their power temporarily after winds of 110km/h swept through.

Strong gusts brought down trees on power lines, causing short circuits and fires.

Ashburton lost its traffic lights and one family lost their trampoline, sent over the neighbour's fence by a particularly strong gust.

Around the same time a storage shed was blown 50 metres across a main road coming to rest on a footpath.

"Because of the wind there was a lot of building damage, sheds leaving the premises they were originally on, we had roofs coming off building and landing on another neighbour's next-door property," Alan Burgess of the Ashburton Fire Service told 3 News.

The latest storm comes six weeks after vicious hailstorm hit Ashburton. The stones damaged hundreds of cars and hit crops as well.

The MetService is warning of more rough weather in Canterbury tonight with predictions of hail and thunderstorms.