KEY POINTS:
An army-style Unimog had to be called in yesterday to evacuate campers in South Canterbury when a rising river cut off the exit to their campground.
Wild, unseasonal weather is marking the final days of 2006 - an apt ending to one of the coldest years on record.
Temuka police said the privately-owned Unimog evacuated the campers from a camp-ground in Te Moana gorge, near Geraldine, after heavy overnight rain meant a normal four-wheel-drive could not make the river crossing. Civil Defence warned other campers in Canterbury to move to higher ground with heavy rain set to raise river levels.
New Year's Eve is likely to be accompanied by rain, thunder and shivering southerlies around most areas. But 2007 brings the immediate promise of a five-day sunny high across the country.
Revellers in the upper and west South Island are likely to have the finest New Year's Eve, with MetService predicting sunny skies over the West Coast and Nelson, though the expected high is only a paltry 17 degrees.
For the rest, there are showers, storms, cold southerlies - even snow - in prospect. Wellington can expect rain, cold southerlies and a frigid high of 14 degrees, says forecaster Erick Brenstrum.
The east coast of both islands from Canterbury to Gisborne is expecting showers, with the Central North Island, Waikato, Taupo and the Bay of Plenty suffering thunderstorms. Brenstrum said such storms weren't unusual for summer, and they would probably die out by evening.
Showers are expected in Auckland and Northland, with a high of 18, while Hamilton will have a high of 19 - but temperatures drop steadily down the country, to a low of 11 in Dunedin.
But 2007 will kick off with warmer temperatures for a week or so, begining tomorrow in the South Island and Tuesday across the east coast. Fine weather should continue on the South Island's west coast during the week. There were reports of light snow on the Lindis Pass yesterday and snow was expected down to 900 metres in Canterbury and the Kaikoura Ranges overnight.
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) climate scientist Jim Salinger said westerlies and south-westerlies in January would bring a cooler than average summer for most of the country, except for the North Island's east coast, which was sheltered by mountain ranges.
Auckland and Northland would be drier than normal, with average, warm temperatures as anti-cyclones came over the north of the country.
The coldest spots would be on the South Island's west and south coast, with temperatures "just a shade lower than usual", Dr Salinger said. Wellington's dismal temperatures should improve, "but it might be a bit more blustery than usual".
