Spring lambs shiver, new wind warning for south

Lambs huddle close to mum at Lee Stream, Otago, yesterday where the cold snap left a blanket of snow. Picture / Craig Baxter

Mt Ruapehu skifields are boasting fresh snow after another cold snap blasted the central North Island yesterday.

The weather is expected to improve in most areas today, although the MetService said cool, showery conditions and light winds would still prevail across most of the country.

And it today warned of severe westerly gales for Otago and Southland.

A spokesman said: "The winds may cause damage to trees, lift roofing iron, and create hazardous driving conditions. Fire danger levels are likely to rise sharply with warm temperatures and gale force winds."

At the other end of the country, Auckland was likely to enjoy "good sunny breaks".

Yesterday's cold snap came just days after snow fell across the Central Plateau to the Gisborne ranges, closing roads and causing losses for farmers with newborn lambs and calves.

Federated Farmers said the latest snow was further bad news for farmers nearing the end of lambing.

"There will be some losses but hopefully not too many," said Manawatu-Rangitikei president Ruth Rainey.

Mt Ruapehu's Turoa and Whakapapa skifields were closed yesterday as strong westerlies buffeted the slopes.

Turoa experienced blizzard conditions and the temperature dropped to -5C on the upper mountain.

By 9am, 10cm of snow had fallen at the base, much to the joy of the skifield's operator.

"As soon as it clears, it's going to be sweet up there," Ruapehu Alpine Lifts marketing co-ordinator Tim Wilkinson said.

Snow also fell at Whakapapa.

While the snow was welcome news for some, it caused hazardous driving for motorists.

Mr Wilkinson said the roads between his home in National Park and Taupo were covered in snow in the morning and negotiable in a two-wheel-drive vehicle, but only slowly.

Police warned motorists on State Highway 47 between National Park and Turangi to take extreme care.

The Desert Rd was closed briefly but reopened at 10.30am with warnings for people to drive to the conditions.

The MetService issued heavy snow warnings for parts of Fiordland, Southland and Otago after snow fell to 300m overnight.

Snow blanketed Dunedin.

Gale warnings were also in place around the country.

Strong winds struck the Bay of Plenty, lifting the roof off a building near Rotorua, but the Fire Service reported no other weather-related incidents in the northern region.

MetService senior forecaster Paul Mallinson said the cold snaps of the past week were not unusual for this time of year.

"Springtime brings changeable weather," he said. "The reason that it does come and go quickly is because we're starting to warm up now."

He said that, when temperatures increased without moving to Antarctic latitudes, they brought strong winds.

"When the winds increase, all the weather systems are moving faster."

The spring winds were called "equinoctial gales".