A band of wild weather that is moving up the South Island has brought snow to some mountain areas, caused highway closures and prompted road warnings.
The New Zealand Transport Agency advises that State Highway 94, Te Anau-Milford, is closed owing to snow. SH6, Fox Glacier-Haast, was closed earlier because of a slip. It has now reopened but motorists should expect delays. There is also flooding on SH6 around Whataroa.
The NZTA has issued a snow and ice warning for SH87, Outram-Middlemarch, and Danseys Pass road is restricted to 4WD vehicles.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council says there has been snow on the Crown Range and Lindis Pass overnight. Both are open but motorists are urged to carry chains as more snow is forecast.
The QLDC also said heavy rain had caused surface flooding and rockfalls in the area.
Rainy & thundery morning from Fiordland to Greymouth. Radar--> https://t.co/d2ipJMFlYI pic.twitter.com/hZXStnb9f3
— Chester Lampkin (@chesterlampkin) July 14, 2016
A MetService forecast says a strong cold southwesterly following today's front is expected to bring snow down to 500 metres in Otago tomorrow.
The front is moving across the South Island and is expected to hit the North Island by this afternoon or evening.
Meanwhile, Greymouth has been put on alert as a line of severe thunderstorms nears the West Coast town.
MetService has issued the top priority warning, saying the weather radar has detected a line of severe storms poised to strike the region.
The thunderstorms were moving towards the east-northeast and expected to lie near Greymouth at 07:07am and Punakaiki, including Ngahere to Arthurs Pass, at 7:37am.
MetService warned the thunderstorms may be accompanied by damaging wind gusts with the potential to break branches, damage roofs, and make driving hazardous especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
