Wintry blast sends summer packing

The high in Auckland yesterday was 16C, 5 degrees below the average for this time of the year. Picture / Amos Chapple

Those who thought winter was making a return at the weekend were not far wrong.

Temperatures dropped well below average throughout the country as a powerful low brought strong winds and rain to many areas.

The central North Island felt the chill particularly strongly.

In Waiouru yesterday, the mercury failed to rise above 5C - 12 degrees below the average maximum temperature for this time of year.

Aucklanders attending the K'Rd Karnival and the Auckland Rodeo at Carlaw Park donned coats and hats to keep out the cold, wind and rain.

The high in the City of Sails yesterday was 16C, 5 degrees below the average.

Hail also fell in the north of the North Island in the morning. Heavy rain warnings were in place in Taihape and Hawkes Bay.

In the South Island, the low brought snow down to 500m.

Between 5cm and 8cm blanketed the mountains around Queenstown.

MetService forecaster Andy Downs said it was unusual to have a white covering so low at the beginning of December. The low, passing just east of the North Island, brought heavy rain to Northland, the Coromandel, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

The east of the South Island also received a soaking, with more than 70mm falling in south Canterbury.

Mr Downs said the rain was welcome in the south because the weather had been reasonably dry in the last month.

Strong winds whipped Wellington, the Wairarapa and Kaikoura coasts.

Gusts of 110km/h closed Wellington Airport about 6.30 last night. The Fire Service said staff had secured the roofs of about 15 buildings in Wellington and Hutt Valley.

Mr Downs said the winds made the air feel colder than it actually was.

The MetService is expecting conditions to improve during the week but the chill could return on Friday.

The North Island should be mostly fine apart from a few cloudy periods.

In the South Island, showers are expected along the west coast, but it should be mainly fine in the east. On Friday the weather is expected to be cool again.