Weather: Cook Strait ferries cancelled due to 7m swells threat, snow in south, rain for north

• Ferry services on Cook Strait are cancelled due to 7m swells and a winter blast.
• Heavy snow warnings are in place for Canterbury High Country, with temperatures dropping this week.
• Auckland expects rain and possible thunderstorms, while Gisborne faces heavy rain and potential flooding.

Cook Strait ferry services have been cancelled due to monster 7-metre swells as a winter blast hit the country overnight.

Temperatures are forecast to drop this week, with heavy snow warnings and road snowfall warnings issued for parts of Canterbury.

MetService is also warning of heavy rainfall in the upper and eastern areas of the North Island with thunderstorms possible for Auckland.

Auckland has a forecast of rain turning to showers this morning, with thunderstorms possible in the afternoon, MetService said. The daily high was tipped to reach 22C.

Further down the country, heavy rain was expected to hit Gisborne. High winds and heavy rain were also expected to lash Wellington and Marlborough, North and Mid Canterbury and Banks Peninsula. Heavy snow was forecast for the Canterbury high country.

7m waves near Cook Strait

Ferry operator Bluebridge said conditions on Cook Strait were expected to deteriorate this morning.

The Interislander has cancelled its ferries from 8.30pm tonight to 2.30am Friday.

Bluebridge said I would look at cancellations for today, tomorrow and Friday as the swell heights continue to climb.

MetService said waves could reach as high as 7m tomorrow afternoon.

Flooding, slips possible, warns MetService

MetService said high rainfall today could cause surface flooding, slips and fast-rising rivers.

🟡🟠🌧️❄️ SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE

A low approaches northern New Zealand today then deepens as it moves across central New Zealand on Wednesday and Thursday. It is expected to bring significant rain and severe southerly gales to parts of the country as well as heavy snow to higher… pic.twitter.com/4yrrw4aiU6

— MetService (@MetService) April 29, 2025

Gisborne is expected to receive as much as 25mm of rain an hour this morning, with MetService saying the orange warning in place could be upgraded.

A strong wind watch for Marlborough and Wellington, along with a strong rain watch for the capital, had the potential to down trees and powerlines and lift unsecured property.

Heavy snow watch, road snowfall warnings in place

MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino said the temperatures are due to drop this week, with a swathe of heavy snow warnings placed on commonly affected roads.

Martino said it was a “classic autumn” with a mixed bag of muggy nights and warm days before more wintery weather arrived.

“Now we’re bouncing back to something that looks a bit more like what we get in winter, we’re gonna see really cold, strong southerlies up that South Island east coast and coming into Wellington.”

A heavy snow watch is in place for the Canterbury High Country south of the Rangitata River from 6pm tonight.

Road snowfall warnings are in place for Arthur’s Pass (SH73) and Porters Pass (SH73) from 9pm tonight.

Daily high temperatures are expected to drop to single digits in southern parts of the country, with the Canterbury high country sitting under a heavy snow watch until 10am tomorrow.

Queenstown was expected to dip from 17C today to 8C on Thursday. Christchurch will drop to 10C on Thursday.

Auckland, meanwhile, does not have a forecast high temperature below 18C for the next week.

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