Snow brings down Queenstown trees, power lines

Power has been restored to most homes in the Queenstown area, after strong rain and snow battered the region overnight.

Power was cut to homes in Arrowtown, Dalefield, Lower Shotover and north of Glenorchy, after trees fell on power lines.

Network provider Delta said supplies had been restored to all but 140 customers in parts of Dalefield and Kinloch, near Glenorchy.

Crews were continuing to clear heavy snow from trees and power lines and carry out repairs, with power expected to be restored to all affected customers later today, the company said.

The Transport Agency said Lindis Pass (State Highway 8) had re-opened, after closing because of snow earlier this morning, but the Milford Road (State Highway 94) remained closed because of an avalanche risk.

Christchurch Transport Operations Centre said workers were trying to reduce the avalanche risk and the road would stay closed until that work was successful.

A flooding warning was in place on State Highway 6 between Hawea to Haast.

Queenstown Airport said it was operating as usual, despite the spring snowfall.

Apart from one slight flight delay earlier this morning, flights would continue as scheduled, the airport said.

MetService said the bad weather was now moving north.

Forecaster Derek Holland said 144mm of rain had fallen at Haast in the West Coast and 118mm had fallen in Fiordland in the last 24 hours.

"We've got a rain band moving north over the South Island. It's slowly easing and is expected to move across much of the North Island this afternoon.

"We are not expecting rainfalls to be as much over the North Island, just a period of rain during the afternoon or evening," he said.

MetService said the snow came from a brief fall overnight.