Hundreds of customers across Southland and Otago remained without electricity on Sunday after severe weather and a separate national grid fault disrupted power across New Zealandâs lower South Island.
Around 25,000 customers initially lost supply at lunchtime when Transpower experienced a significant grid issue affecting most of Southland. The wider interruption lasted about two hours, but storm and lightning damage left around 800 customers without electricity later in the day.
About 800 customers remained without power
PowerNet estimated that roughly 500 affected customers were in Southland and another 300 in Otago as crews continued repairing weather-related damage.
Operations general manager Geoff Thorburn said field teams had been working since the early hours of Sunday, when strong winds first struck the region. Crews were already carrying out repairs when the separate Transpower fault occurred and continued working through the afternoon.
PowerNet said customers affected solely by the grid issue should have had electricity restored. Anyone still without supply who had not reported the fault was asked to contact PowerNet on 0800 808 587.
Lightning and strong winds damaged local infrastructure
Stormy conditions affected Southland and parts of Otago from early Sunday into the afternoon. An orange-level strong wind warning covering the region was lifted at around 2pm.
Numerous lightning strikes caused significant damage to electricity infrastructure, according to PowerNet. Local faults involving poles, lines or other equipment can take longer to repair because restoring the wider grid does not automatically fix damage closer to individual properties.
The risk is familiar across the region. A previous South Island warning for flooding and powerful gales highlighted how severe winds can threaten electricity networks, roads and exposed communities.
Grid fault and storm outages had different causes
Although the incidents happened around the same period, they were separate events. The Transpower problem caused the large regional interruption, while wind and lightning produced local network damage that continued after the main supply returned.
Transpower owns and operates New Zealandâs national electricity transmission grid. More information about the network and its role in moving electricity around the country is available through the official Transpower website.
Severe weather has caused similar disruption elsewhere in New Zealand, with heavy rain and damaging storm conditions previously creating risks for infrastructure and travel.
Preparation after the 2025 wind event helped
PowerNet credited residents, businesses and farmers for preparation carried out since the major Southland and Clutha wind event in October 2025.
Over the past year, people had checked, trimmed and removed trees that could threaten power lines. PowerNet said that work made a difference during Sundayâs storm, although lightning and extreme winds can still damage network equipment directly.
Safety remains the priority during restoration
Residents were urged to stay away from fallen or damaged electricity lines. Trees, vegetation or debris touching lines should not be removed by members of the public because damaged equipment may still be live.
Anyone facing an immediate danger should call 111. PowerNet said it was still too early to confirm whether some customers could remain without electricity overnight and encouraged affected households to check their emergency kits.
People who depend on electricity for medical equipment were advised to activate their emergency plans or contact their medical provider for support. With the national grid fault resolved, crews were focused on repairing the remaining storm and lightning damage across Southland and Otago.
