A land rescue is underway tonight for four people overdue from a climbing trip in the Southern Alps.
With no overnight gear and temperatures set to plunge below freezing overnight, police have begun a land rescue at Arthur's Pass National Park after the group failed to return before darkfall as planned.
A police spokesman said one of the group is experienced while the other three are "moderate" and a decision on whether to scramble a search and rescue helicopter would likely be made in the morning.
The skies around Arthur's Pass are set to be partly cloudy tonight and tomorrow morning, with snow forecast for later in the day.
