SNOW. POWER CUTS. TREES BLOWN OVER

Power was cut to about 1200 homes after high winds brought down trees and some city businesses were flooded as two cold days of rain drenched Rotorua.
Snow also blanketed parts of the district yesterday - the first time in about 30 years there has been snow in October.
Unison customer-relations manager Danny Gough said a tree fell across power lines on Hamurana Rd, Rotorua, about 7.30pm on Sunday, leading to a two-hour blackout.
Homes affected in Rotorua were on Oturoa Rd, Central Rd, Jackson Rd and Tauranga Direct Rd.
"There may be some isolated pockets still affected as it's been a pretty tough couple of days," Mr Gough said.
"It's been incredible. We can't even get guys up to the Napier-Taupo Rd for access. It's a bit of a nightmare for us."
A Springfield family were missing a treehouse yesterday morning after high winds brought down a large tree at their Wharepaina Cres home.
"We were just watching the end of the news and we heard a huge crash," Darryl Parker told The Daily Post. "We looked out the window and thought the hut had been blown over. Then when we came outside we saw the whole tree had come down.
"It's lucky it didn't hit the neighbour's house. He was out at the time and when he opened his curtains this morning he told me he got the shock of his life."
Rotorua cafe Indigo, on Hinemoa St, was able to open as normal yesterday despite water leaking through a roof and flooding the kitchen area.
"It's business as usual as much as possible," owner Warren Flay said.
"There was flooding in a minor way, there was water in the kitchen, offices and halfway across the cafe floor. We compressed our tables into a small area so Chemdry could dry the area out."
He said he was called by staff opening up at 6am who said water was coming in through the roof at the back of the cafe.
"We've never had anything like this before. It was a bit of a shock and not a good way to start the day, but then we started thinking practically."
He said he had heard of other businesses opening up to similar sights.
Springfield weatherman Brian Holden said it was unusual for the district to get snow at this time of year.
"My wife can remember snow on Mount Ngongotaha in October but that would have been about 30 years ago and before I started keeping records," he said.
"Spring has arrived but there's often a sting in winter's tail and this is it. We've just got to weather it out."
He said 55mm of rain fell from 8pm Sunday to 8am yesterday and the temperature dropped to 2C. Sunday's maximum temperature was 14C.
"But it didn't feel it," Mr Holden said. "It felt much colder than that."
MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said the rain would soon start to clear and people in Rotorua could expect a bit of rain and cloud today.
"It's slowly clearing but it probably won't clear until Wednesday," he said. "There will be scattered rain and a bit of cloud but it will also slowly get warmer."
Across the region, Ruatahuna was cut off yesterday after slips on the Te Urewera Rainforest Route between the Minginui Rd turn-off and Okahu Valley Rd. Slips were also recorded on State Highway 38 near Murupara. Taupo was hit with snowstorms and a state of civil emergency was called.
Another 300 homes in the Taupo district were hit with a five-hour power outage when a pine tree fell on lines at Broadlands Rd, Reporoa. About 300 homes were without power in the vicinity of the snowfall on the Napier-Taupo Rd. Eastern Bay of Plenty escaped the worst of the weather.