Heavy snowfall has disrupted air, road and rail travel in France and the Netherlands, with hundreds of flights cancelled in the countries' capitals.

A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 has hit western Japan, followed by a series of sizeable aftershocks, the meteorological agency says. No tsunami warning has been made.

The holiday road toll has risen to eight with the death of a woman in hospital yesterday.

Parts of Australia are forecast to hit temperatures above 45C this week, in what is expected to be the worst heatwave since the devastating Black Summer bushfires.

About 50 people were involved in a search today for a Dunedin man missing for a week after going tramping near Lake Ohau.