Unseasonable heavy snow hits New Zealand by Steph Ball
A cold blast of weather hit New Zealand’s South Island Tuesday night, with Southlanders waking this morning to a scene more akin to the depths of winter.
With the country now well into the throes of spring, the cold weather brought an unseasonable blanket of snow and hail across parts of Southland, Fiordland and Central Otago (all districts of South Island). The snow was heavy in places and not merely restricted to the mountains, but falling at lower levels too.
Organisers of the Tour of Southland cycle race were forced to shorten some stages of the race, hit by the atrocious conditions. As much as 20cm (8 inches) of snow fell across parts of northern Southland with locals describing it as the worst November snowfall they had seen in 30 years.
The New Zealand Met Service has warnings in force today for further snow, mostly affecting the hills of South Island plus North Island’s Central Plateau. A further 10 to 15cm (4 to 6 inches) of snow is expected.
A very cold southwesterly airflow is responsible for the snow and lowering temperatures across the country, with the threat of snow showers expected to last at least into Thursday.
