Ruinous lamb toll rising

Cold winds accompanied by showers across the south of the country yesterday added to the difficulties of farmers facing mounting lamb losses.

Otago and Southland's lambing season is expected to be one of the worst on record, with the death toll of newborns in the snow-bound south expected to pass 500,000 by this morning.

Two separate bouts of atrocious weather, on Tuesday night and Saturday night, were to blame, said Ray Watson, the manager of Slink Skins, which processes lamb carcases for the skins.

"We need to get some heat into the ground, and we need to get some heat into the air to get stock survival rates back up again," he said.

"A combination of very wet ground conditions, cold weather, cold winds - it's just proving to be a disastrous year for farmers."

Snow fell on State Highway 73 between Arthurs Pass and Otira. Transit advised yesterday morning that chains were essential and the road was closed to towing vehicles.

At the same time the MetService warned of severe westerly gales in parts of Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa, with gusts up to 120km/h predicted in exposed areas.

MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said he did not expect a repeat of the cold snap that hit southerly areas last weekend when cold air was dragged on to the south of the country.

More fronts were expected today and on Sunday but they were moving so quickly that there would not be time for the cold air to get north.

- NZPA