Lower South Island storm and recovery

The story so far

Gale-force winds and heavy rain from mid-October caused power outages, flight cancellations and road blockages across the South Island and parts of the lower North Island.^{20 Oct 2025} A man died after a falling branch hit him on Lookout Road in Mount Victoria, Wellington, during severe winds with gusts up to 130km/h.^{21 Oct 2025} In the Canterbury high country, winds reached 163kph and left more than 850 homes without power near Christchurch. Gales in North Canterbury then ripped roofs off homes, and in Balmoral more than 80 pine trees were blown over on one road.^{21, 24 Oct 2025} Storm damage was most severe in Southland and Clutha, where outages peaked at more than 25,000 people and states of emergency were declared on 24 October. Insurers received more than 5,000 claims, and farmers reported losses that may exceed the relief funding available.^{28, 29 Oct 2025; 4, 6 Nov 2025} By 6 November only 65 properties remained without power, and the states of emergency in Clutha and Southland had been lifted.^{6, 7 Nov 2025}

Key moments

1. 20 Oct 2025Gale-force winds and heavy rain hit the South Island and lower North Island.
2. 21 Oct 2025Canterbury high country gusts reach 163kph; over 850 homes lose power near Christchurch.
3. 21 Oct 2025Man dies after being struck by a falling branch in Mount Victoria, Wellington.
4. 24 Oct 2025Gust rips half the roof off a house in Oxford, North Canterbury.
5. 25 Oct 2025Hercules aircraft used to fly generators into Southland as power outages persist.
6. 4 Nov 2025At the peak of outages, more than 25,000 people in the region lost power.
7. 7 Nov 2025States of emergency in Clutha and Southland are lifted, with 65 customers still without power.
8. 11 Dec 2025WorkSafe issues national warning after serious injuries during storm debris clean-ups.

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