Temperatures plummet as large amounts of snow, rain and wind descend on the South Island of New Zealand this afternoon.
Hitting areas such as Wanaka, Queenstown and Otago, the severe weather has caused flooding, problems on the roads and very low temperatures.
Parts of Wanka and Queenstown have been flooded but snow has subsided. However, Otago and Canterbury are still on high weather warning. According to a MetService representative, these areas are still expecting of up to 30cm of snow.
Due to the severe weather, schools across the Island have been closing, incoming and outgoing flights from Queenstown Airport have been cancelled and people have been warned against driving in the worst hit areas.
‘Drivers should expect wet, slippery roads,’ Mark Owens of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) warns, ‘high winds are also expected, which is a particular risk for anyone on a bike or motorbike, or high sided vehicles like vans and campervans.’
Emma Blades, MetService meteorologist says that Timaru could be hit with snow and high winds up of up to 80 kilometres an hour overnight.
Christchurch is not suspected to be effected by snow but temperatures could drop to 1 degree celsius and sleet should be expected in the morning.
