Late August 2026 storm and power outages

The story so far

MetService issued orange warnings for heavy rain, snow and winds gusting up to 120km/h across parts of both islands ahead of the weekend.^{21 Aug} The West Coast and South Island faced risks of flooding, slips and damaging winds, while the North Island could see spring-like temperatures.^{21 Aug} A series of fronts crossing the country was expected to bring heavy rain, severe gales and snow, with warnings for the South and lower North Islands.^{22 Aug} Snow was forecast for higher South Island roads on Sunday.^{22 Aug}

Latest

Severe storms and a national grid fault caused widespread power outages across the lower South Island and parts of the North Island, affecting tens of thousands of homes and businesses.^{23 Aug} Hundreds of customers in the Nelson-Tasman and West Coast regions were still without power.^{23 Aug}

Key moments

1. 21 AugMetService issues orange warnings for rain, snow and gales across both islands.
2. 22 AugSeries of fronts forecast to bring rain, gales and snow; warnings widen to lower North Island.
3. 23 AugGrid fault and storms leave tens of thousands without power.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.