Motorists advised off roads after snow

Winter bit hard yesterday, with snow closing roads and hail, gales and rain lashing much of New Zealand.

Police were last night warning motorists not to travel through the central North Island.

State Highway 1 from Bulls to Rangipo, just south of Turangi, as well as connecting State Highway 47, from Tongariro National Park to Turangi, and SH 49, which runs from Waiouru to join up with SH 4 at Ohakune, were all closed last night and not expected to reopen until mid-morning today.

Extreme caution was advised on SH 4, from Wanganui and through Tongariro National Park to Turangi. Police were recommending motorists took SH 3 through the New Plymouth region.

About 20 cars and two trucks had to be freed after they were trapped in snow on the Desert Road yesterday afternoon before the road closed.

In the South Island, snow closed roads in the Wakatipu Basin, near Queenstown. Closure of the motorway north of Dunedin yesterday morning forced the cancellation of the Forbury Trotting Club meeting. MetService's forecast for the weekend includes plenty of showers but also fine periods.

- Staff reporters, NZPA