Snow Clauses the South Island while North Island confronts a power crisis
A wintery front has turned parts of New Zealand into a snowy landscape, with residents in the South Canterbury waking to thick snow covering roads and farmland. The conditions have not only disrupted daily life on the ground but also sparked transport delays and hazardous driving conditions across several routes. Meanwhile, in the North Island, a lightning strike triggered a grid emergency, underscoring the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather as connections between key power stations and regions were interrupted.
Lightning strike triggers grid emergency in the North Island
Transpower declared a grid emergency in the morning after a lightning strike affected critical transmission lines. The outage disrupted electricity supply to Hawke’s Bay and severed power generation connections at Harapaki, Whirinaki, and Waikaremoana. The incident highlights how a single thunderstorm can ripple through the national grid, impacting homes, businesses, and essential services further afield.
utility officials stressed that restoration efforts are underway, but the situation remains sensitive as operators reroute power flows and repair damaged infrastructure. Residents across affected regions have been urged to conserve electricity where possible while crews work to reestablish normal supply.
Snow, road closures, and trapped vehicles in the South Island
In the South Island, heavy snowfall has closed several vital routes. Police reported that vehicles are trapped on the Haast and Lindis passes, with contractors racing to clear the snow and create safe passage. State Highway 8 from Fairlie to Tweedle has been shut, and the Mt Cook turn-off remains blocked. Additional closures include SH83 between Ōmarama and Kurow, SH87 from Kyeburn to Mosgiel, and SH1 linking Dunedin and Waitati.
Travel disruption is spreading as fresh snow blankets up-country corridors and valley floors. Authorities have issued warnings for multiple passes and corridors, including Arthur’s Pass (SH73), the Desert Road (SH1), Haast Pass (SH6), Lewis Pass (SH7), and Porters Pass (SH73). While some roads have re-opened following earlier closures, many routes remain impassable or require chains and careful driving.
Weather warnings and expectations for the day
MetService has issued a heavy snow warning for the Canterbury High Country south of SH73, the Queenstown Lakes District around and north of Wanaka, and Central Otago north of Ranfurly, with a travel disruption outlook and potential damage to trees and powerlines. Banks Peninsula remains under a heavy snow watch until 1pm. The current forecast also expects a continued risk of ice and blizzard-like conditions in exposed areas as the cold front lingers and interacts with moisture moving across the country.
Meanwhile, a severe weather watch issued yesterday for the North Island and several other regions has largely lapsed, but there remains a residual risk of wild weather for the eastern ranges of the Bay of Plenty for the afternoon. MetService projects an 80 to 130mm rainfall total in some areas today, with the cold front expected to move off later in the day. A disturbed west-to-southwest flow is forecast to sweep across most of the country this afternoon into tonight, potentially bringing thunderstorms to the central North Island with localized downpours of 10 to 20mm per hour in affected zones.
What this means for residents and travelers
For South Island residents, the immediate concerns are road safety, trapped livestock, and continued snowfall. Livestock stress and power reliability remain central issues as crews work to restore stable conditions. For the North Island, the grid disruption serves as a reminder of the interconnected nature of modern infrastructure and the importance of rapid response teams and contingency planning during severe weather.
Looking ahead
The weather pattern is expected to shift as a cold front moves away, but unsettled conditions could linger with occasional thunderstorms and persistent winds across various regions. Officials urge people to monitor updates from MetService and local authorities, prepare for possible further road closures, and stay off the roads during heavy snowfall or icy conditions unless travel is essential.
