Queenstown-Glenorchy road to temporarily reopen after slip

The Glenorchy-Queenstown Rd will be temporarily reopened this morning after the area was hit by a severe storm yesterday. Photo / Supplied

The Glenorchy-Queenstown Rd will be temporarily reopened this morning after the area was hit by a severe storm yesterday.

The road was closed at about 8am on Thursday due to a large slip caused by heavy rain.

The reopening will see one passable lane with traffic allowed through one direction at a time between 10-10.30am.

After that, the road will close again as work to clear the slip continues.

If no permanent traffic flow is possible by 2pm then there will be another 30-minute window for traffic to pass, a Queenstown Lakes District Council spokesperson said.

An update on the situation for the remainder of today and overnight is expected at 3pm.

The QLDC earlier said the slip was large with lots of debris.

"Despite working hard to clear a lane through the slip, a severe blockage of the culvert means a significant amount of water and debris continues to run across the road.

"In addition, there's a lot of material along the potential cleared route which has a risk of slumping on to any vehicles passing through," the spokesperson said yesterday.

The huge storm also cut power to residents in the Queenstown Lakes area yesterday.

Power still out in Queenstown after storm

More weather rolling through v fast pic.twitter.com/gSYYXyp9MI

— Ashleigh Stewart (@Ash_Stewart_) April 20, 2022

Aurora Energy says a lightning strike at the Frankton grid exit point caused the power to go out in Queenstown, Glenorchy, Frankton and parts of Arrowtown.

Comments on social media described the "loudest thunder ever", and "blinding lightning, heavy rain and thunder shaking the house", the Otago Daily Times reported.

All weather warnings in the South Island have been lifted this morning.