Overview
- More than 25,000 properties in Southland and Otago remain without electricity, and PowerNet says some restorations could take up to a week.
- Drinking-water supplies are disrupted in several towns, with tankers deployed, boil-water notices in place, and Greymouth’s treatment plant recovering after a lightning strike.
- Nearly 90 cell sites in the south are offline; telcos are moving generators into the region and 111 calls can still connect via any available network.
- Damage assessments and repairs are under way across isolated areas, with toppled trees, torn roofs, limited fuel supplies in Te Anau, and guidance for farmers who may need to dispose of milk.
- The severe gales followed rare red wind warnings that canceled more than 200 flights, and forecasters flag another risk of heavy rain and northwesterly gales on Labour Day.