A strong cold southerly wind is the sign of wintery weather. Snow has hit many parts of New Zealand. Dunedin has snow on the hills about 100m above sea level which has made it difficult for drivers on the motorway into and out of the city. Snow has fallen on some mountain passes in the South Island. Lindis Pass, which is the gateway to Wanaka and Queenstown in Central Otago, has snow. The Queenstown airport was closed for parts of the day. Dunedin airport also has snow but flights were able to take off and land.
In the North Island, snow is falling on the Desert Road near Mt Ruapehu. Some vehicles are stuck there. This is the main highway between Wellington and Auckland, through the centre of the island. Police have closed the road now.
New Zealand Rail is not taking bookings for tomorrow’s ferry sailings across the Cook Strait as the sea could be too rough.
While the snow is a problem for drivers and travellers, it looks like good news for skiers. Snow often comes early – May 23 2016 and May 25 2015 – and skiers become hopeful of an early start to the season. However, very often this cold spell of weather is followed, not long after, by warm winds which melt the snow.
Vocabulary
spell (n) – a short period