Weather has closed the road to Milford Sound while Metservice are issuing heavy snowfall warnings across Otago, including SH1 between Dunedin and Waitati.
Despite the mercury creeping up past 20degC this weekend and Dunedin being labelled the warmest place in the country at about 2pm on the Metservice website today, things are set to turn.
Metservice has put out a heavy snow warning, a strong wind watch and heavy rain watch for areas about the South as an active front begins to move up the South Island from this evening.
The incoming heavy weather has forced the closure of Milford Road from the Hollyford Junction and the Chasm. The expected snow and heavy rain is likely to lift and allow the reopening by midday Monday.
Central and Southern parts of the South Island are expected to bear the brunt of the incoming weather, with Metservice upgrading their snowfall watches to warnings in Central Otago, Southern Lakes, Southland and Fiordland.
The warnings are of snow to lower to 300 metres overnight Sunday. 15cm of snow is expected to accumulate above 500 metres during this time, and more significant amounts above 800 metres.
A heavy snow watch was in place for North Otago, Central Otago, Southern Lakes, Clutha, Southland, Fiordland and Dunedin where snow was expected to fall to lower than 300m early Monday morning and will accumulate at above 500m.
Rain may turn to snow about higher parts of SH1 (Dunedin to Waitati) for a time during Monday morning, but little if any snow is expected to settle on the road.Rain is also expected to turn to snow tomorrow morning on the Crown Range Road and was expected to accumulate between 20cm-30cm.
Metservice said the weather system was set to bring heavy rain to western areas of the South Island including Fiordland and Doubtful Sound.
A strong wind watch was in place from 9am on Sunday in Central Otago, Southern Lakes, Clutha, Southland, Stewart Island where northwesterly winds could approach severe gale force at times in exposed places.
