The predicted wintry snap has arrived in the South Island with cold winds strengthening and snow falling and settling inland.

WeatherWatch.co.nz has received a number of reports of snow settling, or large snow flakes falling, through inland Canterbury, in places like Oxford and Waddington.

In the main centres the icy southerly has just started to pick up.

Starting in the Deep South and Invercargill is hovering around 3 degrees.  It’s a similar story in Dunedin where the south west wind has started to pick up with gusts to 60km/h in the past hour and the same air temperature.

In Christchurch it’s currently 5 degrees but windier.  The strong southerly is gusting to 80km/h with rain and showers in the area turning to snow showers inland.  WeatherWatch.co.nz says snow showers are possible to sea level tonight in Christchurch, but totals may not be very much.

Wellington has 9 degrees but the southerlies are now gale force with rain.  The gusty winds are making it over to the Kapiti Coast, with blustery conditions in Paraparaumu.  The colder air moving in late today and tonight may bring snow down onto the Rimutaka Ranges highway.  Snow is also predicted to be heavy on the Desert road from Sunday to Tuesday, predicts WeatherWatch.co.nz.

Across the eastern North Island the heavy rain that has caused significant areas of flooding has finally eased to mostly showers or patches of rain today.  The low, which is spiralling perfectly just east of Gisborne and Mahia Peninsula will today deepen as the southerly comes in – but at the same time it’s now finally moving away east of New Zealand

Finally the upper North Island is showery this morning with brisk sou’westers in Auckland.  The temperature today is expected to reach around 13 or 14 but on Monday Aucklanders will feel the icy southerly.  Monday’s high is only just expected to make it to double digits, with a high of only 10 degrees.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz