It may be the first day of spring but for the lower South Island it’s still winter with heavy rain, heavy snow and strong wind warnings all in force.  Meanwhile gales are continuing to blast the lower two thirds of the country.

In the deep south heavy rain with thunderstorms is affecting Southland and Westland with heavy snow predicted to fall as far down as 300 metres.  Meanwhile winds are predicted to gust to 120km/h across Southland, Otago and the hill country.

Gale force winds are currently hammering Stewart Island with gusts increasing to 130km/h while gusts across Southland, the West Coast, Otago and Canterbury have eased to around 60km/h from 75km/h.

In Kaikoura gales have eased with gusts down from 90km/h to 50km/h.

Winds have also eased across Wellington with gusts of 75km/h in the CBD now down to 45km/h and almost down from 100km/h on Mt Kaukau to 90km/h. 

Nor’westers gusting 50 to 70km/h are also affecting western areas from Paraparaumu to Palmerston North while gusts to 100km/h remain at Castlepoint in Wairarapa.