Unseasonably warm weather bought flocks of beach-goers to Dunedin’s St Clair and St Kilda Beaches on Tuesday. 

The MetService recorded a high of 20˚C at 1pm for the city. 

However, the welcome sunshine is not expected to hang around, with Wednesday’s high expected to be 13˚C at 5am, before dipping to 9˚C by 1pm. 

Dunedin is, however, expected to dodge the worst of the weather, with severe warnings issued for parts of the South, including heavy snow for Central Otago mid-week.

The MetService said a front moving northwards over southern and central South Island due to hit on Tuesday evening and during Wednesday was expected to bring a period of heavy rain to Fiordland and the Westland ranges, and heavy snow to low levels for Central Otago, the Southern Lakes and the Mackenzie Basin.

The MetService on Tuesday morning issued road snowfall warnings for Central Otago’s Lindis Pass (State Highway 8), the Crown Range Road, linking Queenstown and Wānaka, and the Milford Road (SH94) in Southland.

At this stage, SH94 was expected to remain open, the Milford Road Alliance advised. The avalanche threat was low. REPORT: LAINE PRIESTLEY/PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON