Weather: Fears for extreme cold snap don't eventuate despite chilly temperatures
Photo:
Screenshot / MetService
Fears for
an extreme cold snap
have not eventuated, despite chilly temperatures around the motu.
The country went into the latter part of the week with almost two dozen weather warnings in place, but rain eased on Friday in Tāupo and the Bay of Plenty, and the South avoided heavy snowfall.
MetService meterologist Sylvia Martino told RNZ Dunedin Airport and Takapō took out the chilliest spots, at minus five overnight, while Christchurch dropped to minus one.
Takapō on Thursday after an overnight snowfall.
Photo:
Supplied / Tanja Clauberg
Snow has closed parts of State Highway 85 in Otago, State Highway 80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mount Cook and State Highway 8 between Fairlie and Twizel.
MetService had issued an orange-level heavy snow warning for inland Canterbury, from the Rakaia River southwards, overnight. A heavy snow watch remained for inland areas of Canterbury and Marlborough between the Rakaia River and Ward until later on Saturday morning.
A warning was also in place for State Highway 1 on the central North Island's Desert Road, with one to three centimetres of snow to accumulate above 800 metres.
Meanwhile, the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office is warning people to take extra care along the region's coastline with heavy swells forecast over the weekend.
A warning is in place in Wellington, from Cape Terawhiti to Turakirae Head, and in the Wairarapa, from Turakirae Head to Mataikona, through to early Sunday morning.
Cook Strait ferries have been cancelled this weekend due to forecast 6m swells.
Interislander has canned all passenger sailings for Saturday due to the conditions.
"All passengers are being moved to alternative sailings," it said on its website.
Cook Strait ferries are being cancelled this weekend due to forecast swells.
Photo:
Supplied
Bluebridge had also cancelled all Saturday sailings, and one in the early hours of Sunday morning.
"We are monitoring the situation closely, and if further sailings are impacted, we will notify you via text and email at the earliest opportunity," the operator told customers.
The MetService said waves could reach swells of 6m on Saturday, with a warning lasting to Sunday morning.
The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office's regional manager, Dan Neely, said it could bring flooding and debris onto roads.
He added that drivers and walkers on coastal roads, as well as surfers, divers and fishers, should take extra care.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Mount Ruapehu ski season officially opens this long weekend
Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu, 2023. Photo: Supplied/ Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Thousands of skiers, snowboarders and sightseers will head up Mount Ruapehu this long weekend, with both skifields now officially open. This will be Whakapapa's first season under new operator Whakapapa Holdings , and chief executive Travis Donoghue said 10,000 people were expected to take advantage of good weather and early snow. "For us, June is a bonus... particularly with Matariki weekend. Folks tend to start thinking of a winter way, so really start to come out in large numbers from today onwards." Meanwhile, Tūroa Ski Area was expecting more than 2000 visitors over the long weekend. Tūroa is also now being run by a new company, Pure Tūroa , after Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which oversaw both skifields, went into insolvency in 2022. Both Whakapapapa Holdings and Pure Tūroa have been granted 10-year Department of Conservation (DOC) concession to run their respective skifields. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Scoop
Air New Zealand, Air China, & Tourism NZ Announce Strategic Investment To Boost Chinese Travel Demand To Aotearoa
In a step to further support the revitalisation of Chinese tourism to New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Air China, and Tourism New Zealand have today announced a partnership aimed at strengthening travel from China to New Zealand. The tripartite partnership will see nearly half a million NZD invested from the three organisations going toward stimulating inbound tourism from China, in addition to Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand's existing investments in the market. Over the next 12 months, Air New Zealand will invest more than $700,000 in marketing through strategic partnerships – an addition to the airline's significant and ongoing marketing commitment in China. The new funding will be used to support a marketing campaign to drive greater awareness of New Zealand as a preferred destination for Chinese travellers. It is also an opportunity to highlight the longstanding alliance between Air New Zealand and Air China launched in 2015, which has provided greater connectivity, codeshare convenience, and a seamless customer experience for travellers between China and New Zealand. China is New Zealand's third largest source of international visitors, comprising around 8% of total visitor arrivals. In the year to March 2025, 248,000 Chinese travellers visited New Zealand, up 18 per cent on the prior year. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said the airline's service between Shanghai and Auckland are going from strength to strength. "China is an incredibly important market for us, and we're proud of the role our Shanghai service has played in connecting people, cargo, and cultures over the past decade. This joint investment is an opportunity to further stimulate travel demand to encourage growth in inbound tourism from China to New Zealand. 'We're looking forward to having our brand-new cabins on our 787 aircraft flying to Shanghai on occasion, offering Chinese customers the opportunity to be among the first to experience our enhanced onboard experience. From October, we'll see a 33% increase in premium seats on the Shanghai–Auckland route, giving customers even more opportunity to travel with additional space and comfort to New Zealand." Mr. Ma Chongxian, the Chairman of CNAH, expressed confidence in the recovery of China-New Zealand market and the alliance partnership between Air China and Air New Zealand. 'New Zealand market has always been the key focus in our Asia-Pacific network. We have deeply engaged in Beijing-Auckland service since 2015. As our strategic alliance with Air New Zealand reinforces the mutual trust and support, our network, products and services have been optimized along the way. The partnership has played a positive role in jointly promoting economic and trade growth and fostering cross-cultural communication between China and New Zealand. 'Embracing the second decade of China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the tenth anniversary of the alliance partnership between Air China and Air New Zealand, we would like to join Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand in further facilitating market recovery and expanding collaborations to deepen practical cooperation and improve customer experience.' Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy said there is an audience of around 60 million people in China 'actively considering' a holiday to New Zealand. 'We're looking forward to working with Air New Zealand and Air China to get them booking trips to come and enjoy destination New Zealand sooner rather than later.' He said Chinese visitors were drawn to New Zealand's culture, friendliness, and natural scenery including mountains and lakes, hiking and national parks. "China's travel behaviour evolves rapidly. For example, we are seeing growth in smaller visitor groups that are staying for longer and getting out to enjoy more experiences and visit more regions.' New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said: 'This partnership between Air New Zealand, Air China, and Tourism New Zealand is another step toward turbocharging New Zealand's tourism recovery and growth. As we work to rebuild our visitor economy, stimulating demand from key markets like China, which was our largest inbound tourism market pre-Covid, is essential to creating jobs, supporting businesses, and strengthening communities across the country. This strategic investment will not only boost awareness of Aotearoa as a unique and welcoming destination but also deepen the connections between our peoples and cultures. We are committed to backing initiatives that bring more visitors here, ensuring tourism continues to be a driver of prosperity for all New Zealanders.' This initiative reaffirms the strong commitment from both airlines and New Zealand's tourism sector to support economic recovery and reestablish vital people-to-people ties between the two nations.
RNZ News
15 hours ago
- RNZ News
Smoke from plane at Christchurch Airport, fluid leak suspected
Christchurch Airport (file photo). Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Firefighters have been called to Christchurch Airport after a cargo plane on the tarmac began billowing smoke from its undercarriage. Fire and Emergency shift manager Lyn Crosson said crews responded shortly before 9am on Friday. She said there was no fire on board the Boeing 737, and it was thought a fluid leak onto the plane's brakes was responsible. A spokesperson at Christchurch Airport confirmed there were no passengers on board at the time. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
