Napier Taupo road still closed

BIG CHILL: The Napier Taupo road is still closed following the weekend's weather bomb. PHOTO PAUL TAYLOR

The Napier Taupo highway remains closed due to snow with the New Zealand Transport Agency expected to issue a further update around noon.

Roading contractors are working at several sites, with the heaviest falls reported around the Tarawera region.

Meanwhile, motorists heading to Wairoa on SH2 are being advised to take extreme care as area "cautions" have been put in place due to ice on stretches between Napier and Tutira and surface water and minor slips in other places.

The Napier-Taihape Rd is also closed.

While the worst of the weather had passed Metservice is reporting that the big chill is far from over - nor is the big damp with another front bearing rain set to arrive early next week.

Before then there are likely to be showers tomorrow and Wednesday with temperatures struggling to reach 13C, while Central Hawke's Bay will struggle to make double figures.

Napier and Hastings were also struggling to reach their forecast highs of 11C today, with just 6.6C being recorded at 9.30 this morning.

There will however be some brief respite toward the end of the week and into the weekend with the southeasterlies giving way to more northerly systems on Friday.
From then through to Sunday there is sunshine and light winds forecast along with temperatures of 16C.

But from next Monday the rain is set to return for several days although temperatures will stay around the 15C to 16C mark in the twin cities.

Motorists planning to travel over the next few days are advised to check out highway conditions through the NZTA website which is being constantly updated.