Today / Hazard
feltnear Milford Sound
GeoNet recorded a 5.6 and a 5.5 north-east of Milford Sound on Wednesday evening, 2 September 2026. Numbers from GeoNet. Roads from NZTA and QLDC. We do not invent a photo of the shake.
Today in QueenstownWeather and roads from this morning’s desk. Confirm NZTA before you drive.
The short version
What visitors need tonight
01
Two moderate quakes, then aftershocks.
GeoNet 5.5 at 6.13pm NZST, 5.6 at 6.57pm, both about 35 to 40 km north-east of Milford Sound, 5 km deep.
02
Drop, cover, hold if it shakes again.
That is the official advice. Do not run outside. Do not stand in doorways.
03
Do not treat last night’s road as this morning’s road.
QLDC closed Edith Cavell Bridge overnight for a heritage inspection. Debris can sit on alpine passes. Check NZTA and QLDC before you drive.
04
GeoNet is the number. We are the visitor note.
Magnitudes move as GeoNet revises. The live event page wins.
01 / GeoNet
What was recorded
| Time NZST | Magnitude | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 6.13pm, 2 Sep | 5.5 | 40 km north-east of Milford Sound, 5 km deep |
| 6.57pm, 2 Sep | 5.6 | 35 km north-east of Milford Sound, 5 km deep |
| 7.12pm, 2 Sep | 4.8 | 35 km north-east of Milford Sound, 5 km deep |
| 7.39pm, 2 Sep | 4.6 | 40 km north-east of Milford Sound, 5 km deep |
02 / Roads
What we will not guess
QLDC said Edith Cavell Bridge at Arthurs Point would close overnight on 2 September so engineers can inspect a heritage structure, with a detour via Malaghans Road. They also warned debris is possible on alpine passes including the Crown Range. We do not mark SH94 closed unless NZTA does. Open Today and confirm before you leave for Milford.
03 / If it shakes again
Do this, not that
In a building
Drop, cover, hold
Drop to your hands and knees. Cover your head. Hold on to shelter. Stay until the shaking stops.
In a car
Stop if you can
Pull over clear of bridges, power lines, and slopes. Stay in the vehicle with the seatbelt on until it stops.
On a track or the fiord
Slopes and rock
Move off steep ground when you can. Aftershocks can drop rock. Check the operator, not social media, before a Milford cruise or flight.
04 / Tsunami
This event is inland Fiordland
These hypocentres are inland, about 35 to 40 km north-east of Milford Sound. That is not a coastal megathrust picture. If Civil Defence or GeoNet issues a tsunami warning, that warning wins. We will not invent one.
Asked tonight
People also ask
- Was there a 5.6 earthquake in New Zealand today?
- Yes. GeoNet recorded magnitude 5.6 at 6.57pm NZST on 2 September 2026, 35 km north-east of Milford Sound, 5 km deep, after a 5.5 at 6.13pm in the same area.
- Is Milford Sound open after the earthquake?
- Do not assume. Check NZTA for SH94 and your cruise or coach operator in the morning. The road status on this site is the NZTA file from this morning’s desk, not a guess from the shake.
- Is the Crown Range closed?
- QLDC warned debris is possible. That is not the same as a closure. Check NZTA and QLDC before you cross.
- Where do official earthquake numbers come from?
- GeoNet (Earth Sciences New Zealand and NHC Toka Tū Ake). We read https://api.geonet.org.nz/quake and link the public event page. We do not round a story into a bigger number.
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